Pubs and restaurants have reported a wave of Christmas cancellations as the latest Covid strain threatens to shut down parts of the economy.
Natalie Isaac, operations director for hospitality chain Bar 44, said a total of 3,200 bookings have been cancelled across its four venues.
She’s one of thousands of businesses worried about how they will stay afloat for the second Christmas running, after Omicron brought in new restrictions with potential closures to follow.
Isaac told the BBC that in normal times, only a "handful" of people would have cancelled their bookings.
She said 1,000 of the 3,200 lost bookings were down to the knock-on effects of cancelled concerts by Tom Jones and the Stereophonics.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called for the government to provide financial support for businesses affected, but the Treasury has not unveiled any new measures.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) also called for the government to reinstate Covid sick pay for staff and to increase the current 66% business rates discount for hardest-hit firms to 100%. Around 4,000 small firms have gone bust since March 2020.
It comes as the International Monetary Fund yesterday said the UK government should be ready to redeploy furlough if businesses have to close.
"Having to stay open but not getting the business is our big worry," Ms Isaac explained.
"This should be our bumper two weeks before Christmas, but the diary is worryingly empty. We're significantly impacted and without furlough, we won't be able to protect our staff."
"We're slightly refilling with small groups, but people are worried to go out again as they don't want to catch Covid during Christmas."
Grays Court Hotel is a 12-bedroom boutique hotel in York. It says the Omicron wave has seen a 15% drop in hotel stays and a 25% drop in restaurant bookings.
Sarah Czarnecki, the hotel’s strategic partner, told The Mirror: “We have had about 15% cancellations of Christmas bookings while 25% of dinner bookings have been cancelled.
“The average spend per hotel stay £290 a night or £150 per person a head for dinner.”
Ms Czarnecki says she is concerned about how the business will cope in January as there have been no forward bookings.
“The ripple effect of these restrictions will really be felt in January.” she said. "It will be tough.
“We need financial assistance or a lot more businesses are going to go to the wall.
“The tiered restrictions nearly killed us last year because our guests were under different restrictions. Without government assistance, we will seriously struggle.”
The FSB said surging operating costs, labour shortages and supply chain disruption are adding to the nightmare being experienced by millions of small business owners.
In total, around 400,000 small businesses have gone bankrupt since the start of the pandemic.
National Chair Mike Cherry said: “It [the government] should reinstate the Covid sick pay rebate so smaller firms can recover the cost of supporting those who need to isolate and relaunch the workplace testing initiative – enabling test and release in scenarios where staff are pinged at work.
“Policymakers also need to accelerate delivery of the £1.5bn business rates relief fund. It was launched many months ago, but is yet to pay out a penny.”
Data for Monday to Sunday of last week from the trade body UKHospitality showed a 13% drop in business and a 15% increase in cancellations, compared with pre-pandemic levels.
Chef Tom Kerridge, who owns a string of Michelin-starred restaurants, warned "places will crumble without help" after revealing the extent of cancellations at one of his restaurants in a post on Instagram - totalling 654 guests.
"I completely understand why and have no problem with them letting us know," he said.
"Public health is THE most important thing. The problem is what will the government do to support the hospitality industry? Many places are going to crumble without help….
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said that Plan B restrictions had "destroyed" the crucial Christmas trading time for pubs.
"Further restrictions such as limits on group sizes, or even closing pubs, would be disastrous," she explained.
"Pubs need all the trade they can get this Christmas to make it through the quiet winter months ahead.
"Without it, they will need a full financial package from the government, including support on VAT, business rates and a return of the local authority grants.
"The chancellor needs to come to our rescue once more."
A spokesperson from restaurants operator Mitchells & Butlers, which runs brands such as All Bar One, O'Neill's, Harvester and Toby Carvery, said: "We are deeply disappointed by the announcement of Plan B and the knock-on effect this will have on our industry as we continue to try to rebuild our businesses during the pandemic.
"We will, of course, comply with the Plan B regulations. Very few of our businesses will be affected by the Covid pass provisions, and face masks are not required in our pubs and restaurants under the new guidance.
"We have no plans to introduce any additional restrictions unless required to do so."
A Treasury spokesperson said that the government had "acted early" to help control the virus's spread while "avoiding damaging economic and social restrictions by allowing businesses to remain open".
"To continue to protect the NHS, as well as jobs and livelihoods across the country, our priority is to ensure everyone who is eligible gets their booster jabs as quickly as possible.
"Our £400bn Covid-19 support package will continue to help businesses into spring next year and we will continue to respond proportionately to the changing path of the virus, as we have done since the start of the pandemic," the spokesperson added.
