COVID-19 Update 2nd November 2020

Here’s today’s update with a few more details on the Lockdown. One thing from the Prime Minister’s statement in Parliament was that at the end of the lockdown period, England would return to the three tier alert system but that assignation of tier levels to regions would be dependent upon the scientific data at that time.

Also, an emergency Tourism Industry Council meeting has been arranged for 2pm tomorrow so if you have any concerns and queries you’d like raised, please let me know.

• Increased Support for Self Employed

The Government has announced that the UK-wide Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will be revised to take account of the lockdown. As a result, the employed the self-employed will receiving 80% of their average trading profits for November.

Payments will also be made more quickly with the claims window being brought forward from 14 December to 30 November.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-increases-support-for-self-employed-across-the-uk

• Extension of Loans Application Deadline

In a statement in Parliament, the Prime Minister announced that the various Coronavirus loan schemes will remain open for applications until the end of the year

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-commons-statement-on-coronavirus-2-november

• Repaying Eat Out to Help Out

The Government has launched an online facility whereby businesses can make Eat Out to Help Out repayments if they:

• • received a letter from HMRC telling them they’ve claimed too much
  • realise that they have been overpaid or were not eligible
  • do not need the money and want to voluntarily pay it back

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/repay-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme-payments

• UKinbound Campaign for Inbound Tourism Resilience Fund

UKinbound has launched a campaign calling on Government to support the inbound tourism sector. The campaign is based on the attracted document and infographic which highlights the value of inbound tourism to the UK economy, the impact of coronavirus on the sector and what is needed in terms of support. The three key asks of the campaign are:

• • Inbound Tourism Resilience Fund

To help those businesses wholly reliant on international visitors to survive until demand can return in 2021, UKinbound proposes a capped grant award fund based on the level of turnover lost in 2020 and forecast operating costs.

• • Business Rates Relief and Grants

In continuing Business Rates Relief for tourism businesses as part of the Leisure and Hospitality Scheme, it is essential that this support is reformed so that all tourism businesses, as previously promised by the Chancellor, including tour operators and DMCs, receive this support.

• • Introduction of Testing

To minimise further loss of demand, Government needs to work immediately with the industry to replace the current quarantine system with a best in class testing regime for passengers, and a regionalised approach to Travel Corridors in order to bring stability and confidence to international travel. If our testing regime is not focussed towards driving demand, then the UK will simply lose out to competitors.