One of Belfast’s most luxurious hotels is boarded up and surrounded by fencing - a high profile casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The stunning Merchant Hotel, better known for cocktails and its luxury spa, is now closed along with countless other bars and restaurants.
Images of the five star venue as well as empty streets in Belfast and elswhere have laid bare the reality of social distancing and its economic impact.
Medical experts insist it is essential to ‘flatten the curve’ of the spread of Coronavirus while the Government is facing a multi-billion pound bill paying the wages of laid off staff in the hospitality sector and many other industries.
It is understood a number of business owners are concerned about the security of their premises during the ongoing lockdown.
