Bosses beg for help as new Tier 4 restrictions shutter 50,000 businesses
Some 50,000 more businesses have shut their doors as a result of the latest Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, causing panic among affected industries.
Yesterday afternoon health secretary Matt Hancock announced Tier 4 restrictions would be extended to cover almost all of the South of England from Boxing Day.
Tier 4 restrictions are largely the same as total lockdown, with all non-essential businesses, including gyms, retailers and hairdressers, shut.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said without help from the government there would likely be a “wave” of business failures in the New Year.
“The update on the virus and associated tier restrictions today is yet another blow to a sector already on its knees. It is clear that it is going to be the longest winter in living memory for Britain’s pubs and brewers,” she said.
“We desperately need the Prime Minister to step up to the plate and commit to an enhanced package of measures for pubs and brewers. If the government acts now they can still secure pubs and jobs by giving locals in England the sort of support those in Wales and Scotland are getting. Without this the outlook is very bleak indeed.”
The Tier 4 restrictions were extended yesterday as new daily coronavirus cases hit a record of nearly 40,000.
A new, more infectious variant of coronavirus is sweeping through the South, causing cases to rise.
On top of that an additional new, and extremely infectious variant has been found in the UK that is thought to have come from South Africa. So far there are only two recorded cases of that variant in the UK.
Prepare for job losses
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “The light at the end of the tunnel seems further than ever and many retailers – who are losing billions in sales with each passing week – will struggle under the new wave of closures.”
Dickinson called on the government to put more momentum behind the vaccination programme and greater widespread testing.
“The government must announce targeted relief beyond April for those retailers who are suffering under the impact of repeated closures, or else be prepared for further shop closures and job losses in the New Year,” she added.
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, called upon the government to compensate businesses for their losses.
“Thousands of businesses and employees have supported the government’s public health campaign against Covid, creating safe, regulated environments for people to socialise. But any requests for a clear long term strategy or commitment to support our sector to the Government has all but been dismissed,” he said.
“If the government expects the hardest-hit sectors to continue to support them in its public health strategy against Covid, then they must, help these same businesses by compensating them for their losses, and deliver a robust exit strategy to regain industry confidence.”