Businesses 'disappointed' with lockdown changes

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce has said that new restrictions on shopping would be disappointing for struggling businesses.

 

Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive, was responding to a tightening up of the regulations from Saturday which has implications for takeaways and click-and-collect, in particular.

 

She said the new measures announced today would be 'very disappointing' to those who had adapted their businesses to be Covid safe to continue trading.

 

'The lack of any certainty over when currently closed shops would be allowed to reopen added to the importance of click-and-collect services propping up many small and independent retailers,' she said.

 

'The Scottish Government must provide detailed evidence on how these new measures will support public health restrictions and urgently provide sufficient finance to support Scottish businesses if they are to get through yet more rules suddenly imposed upon them without prior consultation.

 

'Otherwise, it will only add to the growing desperation of businesses who have put finance and time aside to make their business Covid compliant, only to have to close anyway, with no clear route back to reopening.'

 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told ministers today that the new, highly-contagious Covid variant had left Scotland and its NHS services in a 'very precarious and extremely serious' position.

 

She added that 'none' of the decisions had been taken lightly.