business

BCC & CBI Respond To New Tiered Coronavirus Restrictions

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

Commenting on the new tiered Coronavirus restrictions that will come into effect after the lockdown ends in England on December 2

BCC Director General Adam Marshall said:

“Ongoing restrictions in England will continue to have a devastating impact on businesses across the country.

Adam Marshall

“To weather a difficult winter ahead, greater support will be needed for the hardest-hit firms, including those in town and city centres that will miss out on trade as employees continue to work from home.

“Chambers have been clear that businesses need to see and understand the evidence behind these decisions. While the Government has today added some clarity about the rationale for which restrictions apply where, they must waste no time in producing a full impact assessment and engage with businesses on how to mitigate the ongoing economic effect.

“A review of tiers on December 16 will provide hope for a way out of the strongest restrictions, but the process by which areas can move into new tiers should be transparent and include clear triggers and enough time to allow businesses to plan accordingly.

“There is no substitute for a fully functioning economy. Broad-based mass testing still holds the key to getting employees back into offices, suppliers and customers into shops and international travel and trade back up and running. Chambers continue to urge the government to redouble their efforts to improve its Test, Trace and Isolate system.”

Matthew Fell

Matthew Fell, CBI Chief UK Policy Director:

“For many businesses in England, going into toughened tiers while waiting for a vaccine will feel like suspended animation.

“Some parts of the economy, such as retail, can begin to re-open and look towards a recovery. It gives our high streets a chance to rescue some of the vital festive trading period.

“But for other businesses the ongoing restrictions in tiers 2 and 3 will leave their survival hanging by a thread. Hospitality will remain frozen. And supply chains that cross regions in different tiers will be hit even if they don’t face direct restrictions.

“It’s vital that these firms receive the financial support they need to make it through to the Spring. Clarity about ongoing employment support, including the Job Retention Bonus, will help protect as many jobs as possible. Businesses need to know what support will be there through to March and beyond in advance, rather than taking it down to the wire.

“Lessons must be learned from previous local lockdowns. Boundary lines between different tiers need to work on the ground. Trigger points for exiting the higher tiers must be transparent.

“Those decisions will need to be clearly communicated each fortnight and taken collaboratively between local, regional and national leaders. Most importantly, evidence must be open and transparent – the cost to jobs is only justifiable if it has a material impact on health.

“Liverpool’s shift to tier 2 is clear evidence that mass testing can make a real difference on the ground.

“So there is encouraging news on mass rapid testing and vaccines, and it’s vital to protect jobs and businesses with an end in sight.”