Almost a third of the current cases of coronavirus can be traced back to the hospitality sector, according to a Government minister.
30 per cent of cases are linked to pubs, restaurants and cafes - according to the latest data.
The claim comes as the Government prepares to bring in tough new three-tier lockdown rules.
That would mean that pubs and restaurants in the worst hit areas - currently including Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle, would have to close.
Hospitality sector leaders and local council leaders in the north have called for evidence to show that pubs are responsible.
Business minister Nadhim Zahawi said evidence presented to MPs by England's chief medical officer showed 30% of coronavirus infections are coming through hospitality.
He told BBC Breakfast: "The evidence that Chris Whitty shared with my colleagues, northern MPs yesterday, does demonstrate that between restaurants, bars and cafes about 30% of the infections are coming through that hospitality, social interactions, if I can describe it as such.
"And it is only right that we take action with the local leadership, with public health local teams, because they know their area best."
Mr Zahawi warned that 2020 "is going to be a difficult year", after new figures on GDP showed a struggling economy.
He told BBC Breakfast: "This is a really tough year economically. The Chancellor has put around £190 billion into the economy to protect jobs.
"Undoubtedly 2020 is going to be a difficult year. The direction of travel is still positive, it's still over 2% growth, but nevertheless many many businesses, whether it's hospitality and retail or aviation are struggling with coronavirus as are many other nations around the world."
