"Life will not change": Leeds bar Distrikt goes viral with scathing response to new Covid measures

Work-from-home guidance will return, Covid health certificates are to become mandatory in large venues and mask rules will be extended to combat the Omicron variant as Boris Johnson announced a move to his Plan B to tackle coronavirus.

The Prime Minister warned it is clear the new strain is “growing much faster” than Delta, and cases of Omicron could be doubling every two or three days as he strengthened England’s rules.

Mr Johnson said Christmas parties and nativities could go ahead, but urged people to “exercise due caution” and get their booster jabs as he came under pressure over allegations of a rule-breaching festive bash in No 10 last year.

Mandatory mask wearing will be extended to indoor public venues including cinemas, theatres and places of worship from Friday but will not be required in pubs and restaurants, while the guidance to work from home where possible will return on Monday.

The NHS Covid pass, which can be obtained by having two vaccines or a negative lateral flow test, will be introduced for entry into nightclubs and other large venues from December 15, as Mr Johnson set out the “proportionate and responsible” measures.

However, Leeds bar Distrikt posted a social media status condemning the new rules as "ridiculous".

The bar posted a status which reads: "To those concerned about the ‘news’, please bear in mind that Distrikt is a bar and not a nightclub.

"We are a smaller venue and therefore will not require any passports, nor will we implement any new ridiculous rules that cause anything other than disruption.

"All of our bookings will go ahead, life will not change."

The bar concluded the status with a slur against the prime minister.

The post has been shared in excess of 4,000 times in just a few hours.

More than 1,500 people have also commented with their views.

When approached by the YEP for further comment, bar owner Rosita added: "The main thing we want to maintain is that we are not dismissing covid nor are we dismissing how sad the past year has been.

"Being 1/2 of the owners and the person responsible for the status, I feel like I speak on behalf of all hospitality now where I say this is utter b*******.

"Again, hospitality is indirectly punished and will suffer as a result of these new rules when we all know they make little to no difference."

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