“This is a situation that we have worked so hard to avoid by doing everything in our power as a sector to ensure we are not the cause of the community spread of the coronavirus,”says Chief Executive Colin Neill.
“Let me be clear, now that this lockdown had been signed off, all costs of the sector need to be covered by the government to ensure our people have food on their tables and as many businesses as possible can be preserved.”
“Unfortunately, it is clear that there will be total business failure for many and a whole host redundancies across the sector. Many businesses do not have the money to pay redundancies and will be forced into bankruptcy when faced with the bill.”
“I cannot overstate the seriousness of this situation, tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses are now in free fall.”
Belfast Chamber Chief Executive Simon Hamilton dubbed the new restrictions an ‘economy breaker’ rather than a ‘circuit breaker’.
“No one underestimates the challenge facing the Executive in suppressing the spread of COVID-19, but their decision to introduce what is tantamount to another lockdown for businesses across a range of sectors will, as we have warned on numerous occasions, have a cataclysmic effect on the local economy and result in countless job losses.
“Thousands of people are employed in hospitality businesses in Belfast and tens of thousands more across the region. Those people and their employers are now facing a very bleak future. We have yet to see how these restrictions in any way relate to the risk of transmission in hospitality settings and this feels like a long way away from the First Minister telling us a few weeks ago that business was not the villain.
“It is hard to understate how devastating these decisions are for people who have devoted their lives to turning their dreams into a business. Opening any business, large or small, in every sector, takes talent and passion and a huge amount of courage and determination. By once again plunging businesses back into a lockdown it won’t just damage those sectors but could well herald their demise.
“Businesses are also deeply worried that there is the very real risk that this four week lockdown could become five weeks or six weeks or more. What assurance do we have that this will be four weeks and no more? And what, crucially, is the Executive’s exit strategy to stop us entering into an endless cycle of shutdowns?”
Colin Johnston, Chief Executive of the Galgorm Collection of hospitality businesses, said that he was ‘devastated’ by the announcement.
“We are concerned that today’s announcement will decimate jobs and threaten the future of the industry and the economy.
“We question the rationale for imposting a shut down on this sector while others remain open. We have not seen any detailed evidence to support the case that the hospitality sector is a driver of community transmission.
Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said that, while relieved that the retail sector remains open, they are extremely concerned about the impact of the closure of the hospitality sector.
“The Executive also needs to outline what assistance will be given to businesses who aren’t legally required to close but are forced to do so because of a dramatic decrease in trade as a result of these restrictions.
“There is also concern that this four-week restriction may only be a prelude to a wider lockdown. Let’s be very clear, there cannot be a return to full lockdown.”
And the Federation of Small Businesses has called for the rapid deployment of a significant support package which recognises that a broad range of businesses will be impacted by these restrictions.
“The restrictions announced this morning are deeply disappointing for businesses who’ve gone above and beyond to put in place substantive measures to keep staff, customers and the general public safe,” says FSB NI’s Roger Pollen.
“To prevent otherwise viable businesses failing, support needs to be developed and distributed rapidly – there is no time to waste.”
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