‘A DEATH KNELL’ FOR NATION
Economist angry amid fears 60,000 will lose jobs
A TOP economist has condemned the Government’s decision to enter Level 5 restrictions, labelling it as the ‘death knell for society’.
Meanwhile, retailers have claimed the latest lockdown will be at the cost of 60,000 jobs in the sector.
The triparty Cabinet made a decision for the nation to jump to the highest level in the ‘Living with Covid’ plan last night.
Included in the new measures set to come i n from midnight on Wednesday are the closure of nonessential businesses, a travel limit and the closure of all pubs and restaurants apart from takeaway.
Chief economist at Friend’s First,
‘It attaches same risk to everything’
Jim Power, was furious at the Coalition’s top brass for following the NPHET advice.
He told the Irish Daily Mail last night: ‘It is outrageous to be honest. A six-week Level 5 lockdown just shows the most amazing lack of leadership, lack of vision and lack of strategy.
‘It is basically attaching the same risk to every activity that occurs out there. Evidence-based policy making should be driving the whole strategy.
Mr Power said the Government should have been building up hospital capacity as well as test and trace facilities.
‘The economic and the social impact of this will be dreadful,’ he said. ‘There is a huge disconnect here between the business realities on the ground and the people who are making these decisions.
‘The reality is people making the decisions are guaranteed their jobs, they’re guaranteed their pensions, they’re guaranteed their salaries. Whereas, the people this is affecting are guaranteed none of those things.’
Meanwhile, retailers fear the raising of the lockdown level will cost up to 60,000 jobs and do ‘long term’ damage to many shops.
Shop owners believe the public will switch online during the lockdown and many will not return to ‘bricks and mortar’ stores.
In a grim warning, the shops’ lobby group Retail Excellence said: ‘Any move to Level 4 or above will have a devastating impact on the retail industry, particularly those smaller retailers not yet trading online. We cannot shut down the industry at this time of the year.
‘All retail should be classed as “essential” especially as we cannot simply “kill off Christmas”. Retailers in Northern Ireland and across Europe remain open despite higher infection rates.’ The 60,000 lostjobs warning is on top of the 30,000 already gone in the industry.
A Retail Excellence spokesman added: ‘Since the outbreak of the pandemic retailers have strictly followed all the Government advice and guidelines and invested heavily to ensure their premises are safe. The numbers of cases linked to retail are minimal.
Meanwhile, Retail Ireland Director Arnold Dillon said: ‘With only a fraction of Covid clusters linked to retail settings, it is crucial that policy makers set out the risk assessment that has informed this decision and a strategy for unwinding any measures introduced.’