Quick mass return ‘is not possible’

A SENIOR Bank of England official yesterday ruled out the possibility of a swift mass return to the office.

Casting doubt on the Government’s drive to get workers back, Alex Brazier said legitimate health concerns and continued social distancing make a ‘sharp return’ to ‘dense office environments’ impossible.

Giving evidence to MPs on the Treasury committee, the Bank’s executive director for financial stability stressed the benefits of working in an office in terms of ‘efficiency, collaboration and creativity’.

But he said that while he felt safe going to work he could understand why many did not as a result of ‘caution about the public health issues’. He pointed out that ‘public transport capacity is a related factor there’.

He also said Covid-safe guidelines mean ‘it’s not possible to use office space… with the intensity we used to so it’s actually not possible to bring lots of people back very suddenly’.

He added: ‘We should expect a more phased return depending on the public health outcomes we see over the coming weeks and months.’