TIDMJDW
RNS Number : 3789I
Wetherspoon (JD) PLC
11 December 2020
11 December 2020
J D WETHERSPOON PLC
NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Pub company Wetherspoon says that the results of Sweden's
COVID-19 policies have been widely misunderstood.
Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said:
"Whatever way you look at the numbers, Sweden's no-lockdown
strategy is working better than the UK's approach.
"According to the respected Worldometer website, Sweden had
1,330 Covid-19 fatalities from 1 November to 9 December, 2020.
"The UK had 16,011 fatalities during the same period. Adjusting
for population, the Swedish fatality rate is just over half that of
the UK during this period (see appendix 1).
"In the last week of the period, to 9 December, the average
fatality rate per day was 19 for Sweden and 410 for the UK.
Adjusting for population, the Swedish fatality rate was less than a
third of the UK's (appendix 1).
"Although Sweden has had a better outcome, a Daily Mail headline
(7 December) said that a "Lockdown finally looms for Sweden....".
The Swedish Prime Minister has specifically said that this is not
true.
"The Daily Mail article also said that "Sweden's overall death
rate is no worse than in other major countries of Western Europe,
such as Britain and France."
"This is misleading, since the Swedish outcome is evidently far
better than Britain's.
"Also, the news agency Reuters inaccurately reported (2
December) that "Sweden registered 174 deaths" that day.
"In contrast, Worldometer records only 33 deaths for that day
(highlighted in red appendix 1).
"The misleading Reuters' statistics were nonetheless reported as
if they were true by both The Daily Telegraph and the Times, among
other publications.
"In fact, Sweden's annual all-cause mortality rate in 2020 is in
line with the last five years, adjusted for population growth-
although the 2019 mortality rate, as has been widely reported, was
unusually low (appendix 2).
"The Swedish outcome is not surprising, since medical studies
have long established that lockdowns don't work.
"As Dr David Nabarro, of the World Health Organisation, recently
said, "We appeal to all world leaders to stop using lockdowns as
your primary method of control" as they "have just one consequence
that you must never belittle and that is making poor people an
awful lot poorer."
"The government and SAGE have tried to marginalise Sweden,
because it makes their ruinously expensive lockdown policies look
absurd.
"Indeed, over 600,000 jobs have already been lost in the
hospitality sector alone- with many more set to be lost in the
coming months.
"It is not clear is why so many media organisations appear to
support the government, by misreporting Sweden's position."
Appendix 1
Source: Worldometer
Daily new deaths, Sweden and UK, circa 4pm December 10.
Sweden UK
09-Dec 4 533
------- -------
08-Dec 14 616
------- -------
07-Dec 7 172
------- -------
06-Dec 36 231
------- -------
05-Dec 14 397
------- -------
04-Dec 26 504
------- -------
03-Dec 29 414
------- -------
02-Dec 33 648
------- -------
01-Dec 32 603
------- -------
30-Nov 47 205
------- -------
29-Nov 38 213
------- -------
28-Nov 35 479
------- -------
27-Nov 43 521
------- -------
26-Nov 53 497
------- -------
25-Nov 66 696
------- -------
24-Nov 67 607
------- -------
23-Nov 54 206
------- -------
22-Nov 56 398
------- -------
21-Nov 50 341
------- -------
20-Nov 44 510
------- -------
19-Nov 45 501
------- -------
18-Nov 50 529
------- -------
17-Nov 40 598
------- -------
16-Nov 37 213
------- -------
15-Nov 39 168
------- -------
14-Nov 37 462
------- -------
13-Nov 32 376
------- -------
12-Nov 28 563
------- -------
11-Nov 27 595
------- -------
10-Nov 35 532
------- -------
09-Nov 35 194
------- -------
08-Nov 22 156
------- -------
07-Nov 26 413
------- -------
06-Nov 25 355
------- -------
05-Nov 22 378
------- -------
04-Nov 21 492
------- -------
03-Nov 19 397
------- -------
02-Nov 20 136
------- -------
01-Nov 22 162
------- -------
Total 1,330 16,011
------- -------
Since 1 November:
Sweden UK
Daily Average 34 411
----------- -----------
Population 10,127,530 69,045,834
----------- -----------
Adj Per Capita 232 411
----------- -----------
7 Days to 9 December:
Sweden UK
Daily Average 19 410
----------- -----------
Population 10,127,530 69,045,834
----------- -----------
Adj per Capita 127 410
----------- -----------
Appendix 2
Source:
Statista: Deaths
Worldometer: Population
Number of deaths in Sweden from 2015 to 2020.
(Annualising 2020 results in 93,855 deaths.)
Deaths Population Rate
2015 90,907 9,764,950 0.93%
------- ----------- ------
2016 90,982 9,836,007 0.92%
------- ----------- ------
2017 91,972 9,904,896 0.93%
------- ----------- ------
2018 92,185 9,971,638 0.92%
------- ----------- ------
2019 88,766 10,036,379 0.88%
------- ----------- ------
2020 93,855 10,127,530 0.93%
------- ----------- ------
Ends.
Enquiries:
Eddie Gershon Company spokesman 07956 392234
Notes to editors
1. J D Wetherspoon owns and operates pubs throughout the UK and
Ireland. The Company aims to provide customers with good-quality
food and drink, served by well-trained and friendly staff, at
reasonable prices. The pubs are individually designed, and the
Company aims to maintain them in excellent condition.
2. Visit our website: www.jdwetherspoon.com
3. This announcement has been prepared solely to provide
additional information to the shareholders of J D Wetherspoon, to
meet the requirements of the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency
Rules. It should not be relied on by any other party, for any other
purposes. Forward-looking statements have been made by the
directors in good faith, using information available up until the
date on which they approved this statement. Forward-looking
statements should be regarded with caution, because of the inherent
uncertainties in economic trends and business risks.
4. This announcement contains inside information on J D
Wetherspoon plc.
5. The current financial year comprises 52 trading weeks to 25
July 2021.
6. The next trading update is expected to be the Company's
trading update on 20 January 2021.
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