The boss of JD Wetherspoon says he still has concerns about future lockdowns, almost four years to the day since the country was put into one.
Tim Martin added that the company is also concerned about the "efficacy of the government enquiry into the pandemic".
His comments came as Wetherspoon announced a near-seven-fold increase to pre-tax profit in the 26 weeks ending January 28, 2024.
The food and drink chain reported pre-tax profit of £36m, up from £4.6m reported in the first half of FY23.
Revenue increased nearly 10% to £991m, while like-for-like sales improved by 11.6%.
Sales are well ahead of where they were pre-pandemic, but Martin still has concerns about lockdowns.
"Sales continue to improve. In the last 7 weeks, to 17 March 2024, like-for-like sales increased by 5.8%.
"The company continues to be concerned about the possibility of further lockdowns and about the efficacy of the government enquiry into the pandemic, which will not be concluded for several years."
He adds: "In contrast, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported on its findings in 2022.
"Professor Francois Balloux, director of the UCL Genetics Institute, writing in The Guardian, and Professor Robert Dingwall, of Trent University, writing in the Telegraph, provide useful synopses of the WHO report.
"The conclusion of Professor Balloux, broadly echoed by Professor Dingwall, based on an analysis by the World Health Organisation of the pandemic, is that Sweden (which did not lock down), had a Covid-19 fatality rate "of about half the UK's" and that "the worst performer, by some margin, is Peru, despite enforcing the harshest, longest lockdown.
"Professor Balloux concludes that "the strength of mitigation measures does not seem to be a particularly strong indicator of excess deaths.
"The company currently anticipates a reasonable outcome for the financial year, subject to our future sales performance."
FTSE 100
The UK's flagship share index, the FTSE 100, was up 21-points at 7,904 shortly after opening this morning.
Brent crude oil futures was down 0.62% today, trading at $85.25 a barrel.
Companies reporting today
- JD Wetherspoon - Half year results
- Phoenix Group - Full year results