‘Rapid acceleration’ in coronavirus cases could be linked to Eat Out to Help Out scheme, says Oxford researcher
A 'RAPID acceleration' in coronavirus cases might be linked to the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, a top academic has said.
More than 100million meals were claimed during the wildly popular initiative, which saw Brits enjoy 50 per cent off food and non-alcoholic drinks every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August.
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But now a new report by Oxford University public policy researcher Toby Phillips suggests Rishi Sunak's scheme may be behind the huge surge in new positive infections in the UK.
He also said it could have "encouraged extravagant levels of eating out" - as eateries had already almost recovered from lockdown when the scheme began.
Eat Out to Help Out was introduced in a bid to protect the jobs of the hospitality industry’s 1.8million employees.
But the new report, published in , said the introduction of the scheme in early August caused restaurant attendance to soar to "near 2019 levels".
It reads: "By the start of August, restaurant attendance had already bounced back to near 2019 levels.
"People were basically going out as normal - so the half-price discount scheme didn't encourage a 'return to normal'.
"It encouraged extravagant levels of eating out."
OpenTable data shows restaurant bookings shot up 216 per cent during the initative - but have now plunged to normal levels.
In his report, Mr Phillips said: "When the scheme ended, things went right back to where they would have been.
"At the start of September, there were more outings than at the start of August - but no more than would have been expected based on the long-term trend of reopening.
"There seems to be virtually no lasting impact on people's consumption."
At the same time the scheme was running, virus cases began to spike, the report says.
The rapid rise has overwhelmed capacity and caused some regional lockdowns, it concludes.
"Transmission rates were already creeping up in early August, before there could have been any effect from the Eat Out scheme," it says.
"But the rapid acceleration in the proportion of detected positive cases at the start of September is consistent with cases where infection occurred in mid-August.
"It's certainly worth considering the effect of a £10 discount at the pub."
A new study in the US has found that people infected with Covid-19 around the the states are twice as likely as people who are uninfected to have dined at a restaurant in the past two weeks.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention questioned patients from 10 states about their recent activities - including whether they'd gone to a bar, gym, salon or place of worship.
'WORTH CONSIDERING THE EFFECT OF A DISCOUNT AT THE PUB'
A large number of the sick had recently eaten out, it was found.
The researchers said: "Adults with Covid were approximately twice as likely as were control participants to have reported dining at a restaurant in the 14 days before becoming ill."
It comes as Boris Johnson this week announced a series of stricter measures, which will take hold from Monday.
Brits won't be able to meet in groups of more than six after the number of positive tests doubled every week in England.
A further 3,539 confirmed cases were confirmed yesterday, the highest daily figure since mid-May - and more than 600 higher than Thursday.
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The R rate has soared to 1.7, with Matt Hancock warning the rise – which he says is fuelled by young Brits - justifies the strict new rule of six.
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Ministers also announced a partial lockdown in Birmingham and two neighbouring boroughs yesterday.
The shutdown affects more than 1.6million people.
