Coronavirus: New Restrictions Come Into Force

Following the sharp increase in coronavirus cases in the UK, Governments across the UK have implemented new measures to restrict human interaction and spread of the virus.

Northern Ireland announced more local lockdowns and restrictions on mixes in households yesterday, but continues to have a lower rate than the rest of the UK. Employees are encouraged to continue working from home.

This afternoon, Boris Johnson announced further measures for England that could be in place for up to six months. As well as greater restrictions on social interactions, businesses have been instructed to encourage staff to work from home where possible. Stricter requirements for wearing face coverings will be implemented, too.

Scottish and Welsh First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford announced greater restrictions on par with Northern Ireland: separate households cannot meet indoors at private residences. Nonetheless, shops and hospitality businesses are able to stay open with strict distancing measures.

Chris Combemale, CEO of the DMA said: “We welcome the government’s approach, which seeks to protect both people’s health and livelihoods, but it is clear that today’s new measures will slow down the recovery and must be balanced with additional support for businesses.”

“In these challenging financial times for many businesses, we are continuing to lobby government on behalf of our members on a range of key areas that our industry needs to both survive and then thrive post-outbreak. Most urgently, today’s news combined with our survey results makes it clear that an extension of the furlough scheme until at least the end of December is essential to ensure companies have the confidence to retain staff and freelancers.”

“In addition to today’s measures, further local restrictions will likely hit regional economies severely too. This could result in small- and medium- sized businesses being the worst hit too. So we would also encourage government, both national and regional, to consider targeted local support to ensure these vital employers are able to survive.”