The terrace at Gordon’s Wine Bar in central London is serving only outside.Credit…Andrew Testa for The New York Times“You could feel Christmas was coming,” Amanda Whiteside, a manager at Gordon’s Wine Bar in London, said of the crowds and buzz. “And then it was gone.”Throughout Britain, new government restrictions combined with heightened anxiety over the highly contagious Omicron variant have drastically reduced business at restaurants, pubs, event venues and retail stores, prompting urgent calls for additional government assistance.On Tuesday, the government responded, announcing £1 billion, about $1.3 billion, in aid for the hospitality industry, with one-time grants of £6,000 and rebates for employees’ sick pay.The grants, said Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the Exchequer, are comparable to what was “provided to hospitality businesses when they were completely closed.” He said this latest initiative was in addition to assistance already in place.The promise of more aid comes as a fresh wave of anxiety over the coronavirus and the economy washes over the region. Britain recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Europe over the last seven days, according to the World Health Organization.On Monday, organizations representing more than 100,000 businesses around the country sent an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, demanding more tax relief and grant …
