Warwickshire business leaders welcome lifting of covid restrictions

Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire have welcomed the Government’s guidance on the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, saying companies can now start planning for the future.

It is widely believed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends lift most covid restrictions on July 19.

He said all businesses will be able to reopen and that there will be no legal limits on attendances or capacities.

The Prime Minister added that social distancing rules would be dropped and that while face masks would not be legally required, there may be guidance to wear them in certain settings.

The government, he said, would no longer instruct people to work from home.

Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Businesses across the city and the county will welcome the guidance from the Government on what the eventual lifting of restrictions will mean although they will have to wait another week to know for sure whether that will happen on July 19.

“It will come as relief to businesses that we are getting close to the stage where they can open up in full and plan for what the future may look like.

“It is going to be up to companies themselves to decide what measures to take and understand that, while legal restrictions are being lifted, there is still going to be uncertainty and apprehension as the public begins to get used to the new normal.

"As we always do here in Coventry and Warwickshire, we will work collaboratively with our local authorities, public health teams and partner organisations to rebuild business and

consumer confidence, with a strong focus on rebuilding our local economy.

“However, it’s also vital that the Government continues to support businesses as the economy reopens.

"Companies have been hit hard over the past 15 months and it is going to

take time for them to begin to recover.”