McDonald’s and Nando’s have been fully closed due to the the coronavirus pandemic

So we’re just gonna starve, right?


The coronavirus has claimed its latest restaurant victims in the form of two of the most popular UK eateries, all within the space of 24 hours. McDonald’s and Nando’s both released statements on Sunday evening, revealing that they’ve had to temporarily cease all operations for the time being until it’s safe to do so due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Up until recently, both were still offering takeaway food services as well as deliveries, but it was decided that they must close for the wellbeing of their staff and customers. McDonald’s was first to release their statement, tweeting:

Then, just as people were preparing to take their takeaway business elsewhere, Nando’s were next several hours later:

This news of both Nando’s and McDonald’s closing has understandably gone down with much commiseration from people across the UK. Many took to Twitter to share their sadness:

This is the latest in a string of measures from both independent retailers and the government to tackle the spread of the virus, and closures don’t seem to be affecting the food industry alone. The Retail Gazette wrote that “John Lewis, Clarks, Ikea, TK Maxx, Apple, Selfridges, Fenwick, Calvin Klein, Sweaty Betty, Boden, Oxfam and the Arcadia Group retail empire already announced their store closures in a bid to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus.”

Although most international businesses have stressed the temporary nature of their closures, it is increasingly likely that shops will take as cautious an approach as possible, riding the virus out until there is little to no risk that their customers could be affected. Essentially, you may not be getting your Maccies fix for a fair while.

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