UK Finance Minister urges people to continue dining out as govt's 50% off scheme ends

As the British government’s ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ initiative to boost the hospitality sector amid the COVID-19 drew to close, UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak urged citizens on August 31 to keep dining out. To give a kickstart to the industry, the government initiated a scheme offering 50 per cent off the price of meals up to $13 on the first three days of the week at participating restaurants, with the government paying the differential amount. 

August 31 marked the final day of the entire scheme and British Chancellor said that it reminded the British citizens that they as a nation “love dining out” and urged the diners to “maintain the momentum” while contributing to the economic recovery in the UK. Rishi Sunak also thanked the people who revived their interest in dining out months after the coronavirus outbreak dominated their lifestyle. He also expressed gratitude for the restaurant managers who ensured safety and worked round the clock. 

“The scheme reminded us why we as a nation love dining out and I urge diners to maintain the momentum to help continue our economic recovery,” Sunak said in a statement.

He added, “I want to say thank you to the diners who have fallen back in love with their local, to the managers who have spent weeks ensuring their restaurants were safe and to the chefs, waiters and waitresses across the country who have worked tirelessly, sometimes with more customers than they’ve ever had before – all helping to protect 1.8 million jobs in the hospitality sector.”

Read - BLM Protesters Stage Die-in Protest In London

Read - World's Most Expensive Sheep Sold For £367,500 At An Auction In Scotland

'Eat Out To Help Out'

According to the Open Table online booking website, more than 67 million meals were consumed by people under the scheme up to August 27. As per the official release by the government, there are at least 84,000 sign-ups from restaurants for the scheme that ends on August 31. The entire scheme is aimed to help protect the jobs of the hospitality industry’s 1.8 million employees in the UK by encouraging people to safely return to local restaurants with social-distancing. 

Read - UK Govt Considers Putting 'alcolocks' Into Cars Following A Rise In Drink-driving Crashes

Read - London Zoo Kicks Off Annual Weigh-in Of Animals After Longest Closure Amid Pandemic

Read - Banksy Funds Rescue Boat Operating In Mediterranean Sea To Help ‘anyone In Peril’