Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove refused to rule out the possibility yesterday.

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He said locals would be among the last to reopen after the Covid-19 lockdown.

The disappointing development came as:

• Daily deaths fell by almost a third to 596 yesterday as experts said Britain may be past the peak of the “first wave” of the coronavirus pandemic
• Massive shortages of protective equipment for NHS staff worsened as a vital shipment from Turkey expected to arrive yesterday was delayed
• Paramedics pleaded for better PPE after having to look after patients while wearing flimsy aprons thinner than bin bags
• Schools could open in June at the earliest, with primary school pupils first in line to return

Pub industry insiders fear staying closed until the end of the year could kill off a huge number of Britain’s 48,349 locals.

Mr Gove was asked whether boozers would open “before winter”.

In response he said: “The other inference that I draw from your question, which is that areas of hospitality will be among the last to exit the lockdown — yes, that is true.”

Frank Maguire from brewery, which has traded in London since 1666, said: “Things are looking pretty dire.

“At this rate it seems unlikely that pubs will be open again before Christmas.

“Christmas is about as big as business gets for the pub industry. It will be a huge loss.

“January and February are dead months — without Christmas to carry us through, we will struggle. It will be a very glum start to 2021.

“We’ve got the added blow of missing out on the Euros this year. Every England game is worth millions to the industry.”

Truman’s brewery has started canning its beer and offering home deliveries in a bid to survive. Most of its 30 staff have been placed on furlough.

Spokesman Frank Maguire said: “Pubs were the first to close and they will be the last to reopen - which is understandable, but many will not come back from this.
“Small independent breweries are part of this country’s DNA, but a lot of them won’t survive unless the government extends the grants it has offered to pubs and hotels.
“Lot of pubs and breweries were already struggling. If they take on loads of debt, the system will break.”

Tonight the Cabinet Office led issued a furious rebuttal of claims it had mishandled the crisis and Boris Johnson had missed crucial Cobra meetings.

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It said: “This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.

“The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation.”

Earlier, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson refused to set a date for schools reopening.

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