MAYOR URGES GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT INDUSTRIES AFFECTED BY LATEST COVID WAVE

Published 17 December 2021 at 4:07pm

Speaking after the Prime Minister urged people to ‘think carefully’ before socialising in the run up to Christmas, South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis said,

“It’s not right for the government to tell people to cut back on meeting up before Christmas, without offering any support for affected businesses or workers.

The Omicron variant is clearly very worrying, and of course, we must all do everything we can to keep each other safe – get jabs, work from home where possible, wear masks if you can.

But it’s a big blow for the hospitality and entertainment sectors – which have suffered so much over the past 20 months to not get any kind of support for cancelled bookings and called-off performances.

This is the busiest time of the year for pubs, restaurants, nightclubs and theatres, they need financial help now if they are to weather this storm.

If we are left with no other choice than to impose restrictions, then we must act decisively, and link those restrictions to support.

What we must not do is leave businesses and workers suffering the effects of restrictions by stealth without being supported. Covid is an economic crisis too.”