Severe staff shortages hit UK hospitality venues amid huge rise in bookings

Businesses warn length of lockdowns and ‘furlough hangover’ has led to many staff leaving positions

Hopes of a post-Covid “explosion in revelry” this summer are at risk from staff shortages, uncertainty about the variant first discovered in India and the ongoing closure of many venues, hospitality industry figures have warned.

The number of events being listed is up to to double that of pre-Covid levels, while bookings have surged by as much as 1,000%, ticket companies said, as the nation prepares for the last remaining restrictions on gatherings to be lifted from 21 June.

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Coronavirus | The Guardian

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