WE’RE LOSING EASTER WEEKEND, SO GIVE US AN EXTRA BANK HOLIDAY

TIM Jones, chairman of South West Business Council, said that with hospitality, leisure, tourism and retail now not unlocking until after the Easter weekend, the Government should look at creating an additional bank holiday.

But it must also ensure that a fourth lockdown never happens.

He said: “This roadmap is not a surprise to the business community, we expected April and May would be the target dates.

“But it does provide a degree of certainty, the yo-yo effect has been difficult to manage for businesses, going in and out of lockdown. And lockdown four would be unthinkable.”

He said businesses would rather wait for the vaccine programme to provide enough protection so they could open for good, than end lockdown early and face another period of inactivity.

Mr Jones said the prospect of continental travel remaining unlikely could also bring a boost for South West tourism and businesses would rather wait patiently than risk returning to action too soon and face another lockdown.

“Most businesses in leisure, retail, tourism and hospitality are saying they would prefer certainty and not return to lockdown, or a tiered system, which did not work,” he said.

He said there is widespread expectation that the Government will announce support packages in the March 3 Budget but stressed an additional bank holiday would bring an injection of cash.