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JD Wetherspoon PLC - pub chain - Chair Tim Martin calls situation for UK pub operators "dire" due to coronavirus restrictions, attacks UK government and adviser SAGE saying, "Since the government often relies on false information, rather than truth, its outcomes will inevitably be poor. The sources of government information, especially SAGE, in which academics predominate, have often been faulty." Says over 70% of premises are shut, despite expenditure of many millions in compliance with health regulations. In addition, over 50 million pub visits have been registered, using the track and trace system, and there have been no outbreaks of the virus reported to the company.
Martin says: "Professors Johan Giesecke, Carl Heneghan, Sunetra Gupta and hundreds of others have also criticised Imperial, SAGE and government policies, as have many health professionals...The predictions that have turned out to be true in 2020 relate to the effects of lockdowns and government actions on the economy and health. Over 800,000 jobs have been lost so far, approximately equivalent to the combined working populations of the cities of Manchester and Birmingham. These job losses are bound to rise sharply in the coming months, without a radical change in government policy."
Current stock price: 1,117.00 pence
Year-to-date change: down 33%
By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com
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