Rutland Arms Sheffield: Pub closes doors until after Christmas as Covid fears grow

Owners of the pub, on Brown Street, said they had taken the decision to remain closed until ‘at least’ Monday, December 27.

It comes amid rising concerns over the spread of the Omicron Covid variant and new ‘Plan B’ measures to curb the spread of the virus in England.

A statement on the Rutland Arms Facebook page reads: “We are sorry to say we have taken the decision to close the pub from the end of tonight's service (Thursday 16th December) until at least Monday 27th December.

"We have, throughout the pandemic, maintained that the safety of our staff and customers is our number one priority and that if we are unable to operate The Rutland Arms as the pub we want it to be and you all know and (hopefully) love. At the moment, despite the government's seeming insistence otherwise, we do not believe we can do this in a way we are comfortable with….

"We hope you understand and respect our decision. We are sorry for any disappointment this causes but we feel we must do what we think is best for our staff. We also hope everyone has the best Christmas you possibly can.

“Hopefully see you all soon, we will keep you updated as we see what happens over the next few days.”

The latest Covid restrictions include wearing masks in all indoor public settings – other than pubs, bars and restaurants – and showing an NHS Covid pass to gain entry to large entertainment venues.

So far no new rules have been introduced for pubs and bars, but the Government is advising people to limit their social contact wherever possible ahead of Christmas to limit the spread.

According to the Government website, 575 new cases of coronavirus were recorded on Thursday, December 16.

The team behind the Rutland Arms says it has tried to contact everyone who has a booking over the festive period but says anyone with any questions should email: [email protected] or get in touch on social media.