News / Business West
‘Ministers can’t keep switching businesses on and off without severe consequences’
The government needs to provide a clear plan, ongoing support and mass coronavirus testing to get the economy fully open again, say Bristol business leaders.
Responding to the prime minister’s plan for restrictions after the second lockdown, Business West said it is helpful to have one week’s notice before changes come into effect but warned ministers can’t keep “switching companies on and off like a light switch without expecting severe consequences”.
A local tier restriction system is to come into play from December 2, with the government set to announce which tier each area will go into on Thursday, November 26.
Business West managing director Phil Smith said businesses in the region now need to see the detail of the latest rules in order to judge whether they are easy to understand and based on clear, transparently-presented evidence.
Phil Smith says businesses will be looking to the government for a plan that keeps them, and the economy, open throughout winter and beyond – photo courtesy of Business West
“They need to know that the new rules will be accompanied by commensurate support, by a significant expansion of mass testing, particularly to workplaces across the country, and by a plan to get the economy fully open again,” said Smith.
“The reduction of time in quarantine for international passengers will help to re-establish connections to key markets and trade partners across the world, helping businesses that depend on the UK’s connectivity and preserving industries and livelihoods.
“Ministers can’t simply keep switching businesses on and off like a light switch without expecting severe consequences. Covid-secure businesses will be looking to the government for a plan that keeps them, and the economy, open throughout winter and beyond.”
Main photo by Ellie Pipe
Read more: Covid support grants for small businesses in Bristol
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