A GROWING number of restaurants and bars are pulling down the shutters amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
After several pubs yesterday chose to close on St Patrick's Day - usually one of the biggest days for the hospitality sector - many have announced they will remain shut indefinitely.
The voluntary closures come came after all pubs and bars in the Republic were asked to close from Sunday night until at least March 29 to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.
Home Restaurant in Belfast city centre was among the eateries who have said they will keep their doors closed.
"It is with heavy hearts we have decided to temporarily close until it's safe re-open," it said in a statement.
"It is imperative to keep our people and customers safe during these uncertain times.
"We look forward to seeing you on the other side of this when sitting around a table with loved ones will bring more joy than before."
The Barking Dog Restaurant in Belfast has also closed its doors "until further notice".
"The safety of our staff and customers is paramount, and this decision has not been made hastily," it said.
"We don’t know what the future holds for ourselves and our industry, but we can only pray that our elected officials will show the required level of sense and leadership to guide us through this madness."
The Lantern Belfast, located close to city hall, also said it will remain closed.
"We will monitor the situation on a daily basis, and hope that we can return to regular trading sooner rather than later," it said.
OX Belfast and the Muddlers Club also announced earlier this week that they would remain shut, while another two city centre eateries, Howard Street Restaurant and Or? Tapas and Wine Bar, also will remain shut.
They said they had "made a tough decision to close both premises as we face uncertainty with the Covid-19 virus".
"We feel that it’s our duty to protect our staff and customers in any way we can from the spread of this terrible virus," they said in a statement.
"We would like to thank you for all the support and kind messages and look forward to welcoming you all back."
