Trade bodies welcome scrapping of Covid restrictions

21-Feb-2022 - Last updated on 21-Feb-2022 at 10:18 GMT

Much-needed boost: All Covid restrictions are expected to be scrapped (Getty/ nicoletaionescu)

The Prime Minister’s decision to drop all Covid restrictions will be a “boost” for the sector, according to trade bodies.

The final Covid restrictions, including self-isolation rules, are expected to be dropped in the Government’s ‘living with Covid’ plan, the Prime Minister announced this morning.

Night-Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill said the withdrawal of Covid restrictions was welcomed by the industry, and will further support business recovery, going some way to regain customer confidence.

He said: “Our responsibility to keep customers and staff safe remains our focus, maintaining baseline mitigations as we have done since the 19 July 2021."

Mutual support

“Experts have suggested that recovery to pre-Covid trading levels will take several years, but we cannot lose sight of the short-term role the Government must continue to play in supporting the sector, beginning with the Chancellor’s budget in March," he added.

Kill called for the Government to extend the VAT and business rates relief, as this would allow businesses the financial headroom to survive on the long road to recovery.

Given the support the sector has given to the Government’s public health strategy over the past two years, Kill believed it was “only right” that the Government in turn support the hardest hit industries throughout the pandemic’s final phase.

Rebuilding the sector

A UK Door Security Association (UKDSA) spokesperson said: “During this extremely challenging time, door security resource levels remain at a critical level, with suppliers, licensed operators and the regulator working hard to continue to keep people safe on the frontline.

“The announcement by the PM of the withdrawal of the remaining Covid restrictions, particularly the withdrawal of isolation rules and the closure of Covid testing sites, will be a boost to resource levels across the security industry.”

This summer will see the rejuvenation of festival season after two years of lost trade, and so will need the security sector to be at its best. Due to this, the UKDSA spokesperson believed it was important to regain and build on pre-pandemic security resource levels in line with demand.