COVID-19 Update 21st November 2020
- Feedback on LRSG and ARG Applications
With the LRSG and ARG schemes now open for applications, I want to try to make sure that all tourism businesses are able to access these grants and gain the support they need. If you are receiving reports from members that they are being told that they are not eligible, could you please let me know so I can feed this back and hopefully resolve any problems.
- Travel Corridors
The following countries and territories have been added to the exemption list:
Israel
Jerusalem
Namibia
Rwanda
Sri Lanka
Uruguay
Bonaire
St Eustatius & Saba
Northern Marina Islands
US Virgin Islands
This will apply from 04:00 on Saturday 21st November
- Maintaining Test and Trace Records
The guidance on which businesses need to record customer and staff details for Test and Trace has been revised to include cinemas, concert venues and theatres. This means that they must have a QR code for customer use and a separate system for recording the details of people who do not use the QR to register their details. In addition, the guidance has been amended to clarify that the indoor sports and leisure centres includes gyms.
- ONS Business Impact Research
The latest wave of ONS research on the impact of coronavirus on UK businesses again highlights how the Tourism and Hospitality industry continues to be the sector suffering the greatest impact. The research, which was conducted prior to the second national lockdown found that:
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- The accommodation and food service activities industry had the highest percentage of businesses with no or low confidence that their businesses would survive the next three months, at 34%.
- The arts, entertainment and recreation industry had the highest proportion of its workforce on partial or full furlough leave, at 34%, compared with 9% across all industries.
- Only 63% of Accommodation and food services businesses are currently trading
- Almost 80% of accommodation and food services businesses and 72% of arts, entertainment and recreation businesses report that trading has declined, compared to just 50% of all businesses
- 25% of businesses in the accommodation and food service activities industry expecting to close a business site temporarily or permanently in the next two weeks, compared to just 7% of UK businesses as a whole
- 44% of accommodation and food businesses have less than 3 months cash reserves
- Just 18% of accommodation and food services businesses have more than 6 months cash reserves
- More ONS Research
A separate piece of ONS research also published today found that
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- 34% of accommodation and food services businesses said they had low or no confidence that their business would survive the next three months compared to just 14% of all UK businesses
- PHE Weekly Update
Here’s a link to PHE’s weekly national Influenza and COVID19 surveillance report with all the detailed information about covid cases. Of particular note are the statistics on where covid-related acute respiratory infection (ARI) incidents occurred:
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- 386 incidents were from care homes
- 78 incidents were from hospitals
- 261 incidents were from educational settings
- 156 incidents were from workplace settings
- 10 incidents were from food outlet/restaurant settings
- Kickstart Tips
For those interested in taking advantage of the Kickstart Scheme, the guidance on how to make a successful application has been updated on the basis of the applications that have been received do far.
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