The Prime Minister this week announced that the lifting of all legal restrictions on social contact will be delayed ahead of the scheduled lifting on June 21.
This delay means businesses such as nightclubs will remain closed and pubs, hospitality businesses and cinemas must continue operating at a reduced capacity.
As disappointing it may be for certain businesses, the announcement of the delay in easing all legal restrictions, as announced by PM Boris Johnson appears necessary in the long-term recovery plan and ensuring any further progress in the roadmap to recovery is irreversible.
Businesses main priority is ensuring that another national lockdown, which would result in forced closures, does not occur again. So this cautious approach will be accepted by many for now. This however, is a tipping point for many businesses across the region and any further delay might prove too much.
For those businesses who have fought incredibly hard to remain resilient throughout the pandemic and were counting on capacity limits to be scrapped, this announcement will come as a disappointment, they will be faced an anxious 4 weeks and forced to review their plans. With cash reserves at near breaking point and lost revenue another 4 weeks for some maybe enough to push them over the edge.
For those businesses who were reliant upon all legal limits being relaxed, more support may be needed in order to retain confidence and stabilise plans over the coming weeks and ensure no knock-on effect occurs.
Any delay in progress should come with further support for those businesses most affected and the Chamber will eagerly await any additional support provided by the government to support businesses through this period.
The Chamber will continue to support businesses throughout the pandemic, for any further advice or guidance please visit our Coronavirus Business Support Hub here or contact us on 01906 673600.