Prognosis
Omicron's Surge Is Turning London Into a Ghost Town
- Vital pre-Christmas business hit as omicron spreads fast
- Key health adviser tells Britons to limit social contacts
The owner of Parlez, a pub and restaurant in south London, hoped that sales this Christmas would have bounced back fully from last winter’s Covid-19 lockdown. Instead, every one of this week’s group reservations canceled their bookings.
The U.K. is facing a record-breaking wave of infections, with Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, warning on Wednesday that “phenomenal” case numbers mean doctors and nurses will inevitably get sick. That leaves businesses like Parlez pessimistic about what comes next.