Many businesses panicked over second lockdown rumours
Just as things seemed to be picking back up, the resurgence of the coronavirus is now leaving many areas with new lockdown restrictions, leading to panic over the idea of a second nationwide lockdown.
Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels
Many restaurants, pubs, and bars have found business to be picking back up, especially after the ‘eat out to help out’ scheme. Another lockdown would be a disaster for many businesses. Surviving the first lockdown was tough enough, and many have managed to rebuild even with the measures in place to ensure everything is as safe as possible. It’s no wonder that business owners are frustrated and panicked over the thought of a second lockdown.
New rules in place limiting gatherings to 6 people have already impacted businesses, with thousands of bookings being cancelled since the rules came into place. Christmas is a worry for a huge number of businesses, as this tends to be the busiest season of the year for industries.
Many businesses predicted a 20% loss without another lockdown, but if more measures are put into place, that number skyrockets to 50%. Customers are even struggling to understand the increased regulations, and this is also making things worse – especially for hospitality firms. Trying to manage a business when you’re unsure of what is going to happen in the future is very stressful – especially when you have staff to think about. If lockdown restrictions are needed again, they will need to be formulated carefully, and come with government support in order to mitigate the damage caused to businesses.
Many people are in agreement that it doesn’t make sense to close pubs again. Numbers suggest that this is not how the virus is spreading – and many pub owners emphasize the fact that if people can’t gather in pubs, they are more likely to flout lockdown rules and gather at home. Drinking at home with people that do not live in the household can lead to sloppy hygiene measures and the virus spreading at an even faster rate.
Construction businesses and plumbers are also struggling, as heading to the homes of clients may not be possible if the homeowners are concerned about the virus. It may also be difficult to find suppliers for certain parts. Ordering a 3 way brass ball valve may be easy right now, but finding one when various areas are in lockdown can be a tough job.
Finding solutions to the challenges that another lockdown could present will be extremely taxing on business owners, and customers and clients are likely to find other ways to get what they want – even if that means ignoring lockdown rules. While many people are still taking social distancing seriously, the advice so far has been confusing to say the least – and with many cabinet members flouting the advice so brazenly, it’s no wonder other people are getting fed up of being told what to do and even being blamed for the spike.
Nobody can really predict how this will turn out, but it’s clear something needs to change.
