J.D. Wetherspoon PLC

Earnings Release • Dec 11, 2020

National Storage Mechanism | Additional information

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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