Business groups raise concern over new COVID restrictions

Business groups expressed concerns over Britain’s new COVID-19 restrictions, with the Confederation of British Industry calling them a “real kick in the teeth” for many businesses.

Matthew Fell, the CBI’s chief UK policy director, said the move would hit businesses which were already struggling badly, and the government needed to take a “fresh look” at how to support UK businesses through to the spring.

“While much of the impact of tier 4 will be on people’s family lives, many retailers were counting on clawing back some lost ground after a really hard year,” Fell said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday that London and southeast England will be placed in a new Tier 4 level of lockdown. Non-essential retail will close, as will indoor leisure and entertainment.

Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, warned that “many thousands of jobs could be at risk” with the new restrictions.

“The consequences of this decision will be severe,” she said.

“For businesses, the government’s stop-start approach is deeply unhelpful – this decision comes only two weeks after the end of the last national lockdown and right in the middle of peak trading which so many are depending on to power their recovery.”

Dickinson said the government will need to offer additional financial support to businesses and called for an extension to business rates relief in 2021.

The new restrictions add to uncertainties faced by British businesses amid the possibility of a no-deal Brexit with less than two weeks left before Britain leaves the European Union’s orbit.

Businesses fear a failure to agree a deal on goods trade would send shockwaves through financial markets, hurt European economies, snarl borders and disrupt supply chains.