Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, has today (Thursday 16 April) confirmed that the nationwide lockdown, put in place on 23 March, will remain in place for at least 3 weeks more and will be reviewed again around 7 May.
The lockdown has seen pubs, restaurants, tourist attractions, leisure facilities, most shops and many businesses close with most people only allowed to leave home only for essential errands or exercise.
Medical officials say the outbreak is reaching its peak but it’s too early to loosen restrictions on daily life.
Extending the lockdown has wide public and political support in order to reduce the risk of a second wave of infections. However, as other European countries cautiously ease their restrictions, the government faces pressure to explain when and how the country will reopen.
The suspension of normal business activity has seen hundreds of thousands of staff furloughed or put self-employed people out of work and sent the economy into a nosedive. The Office for National Statistics has reported that a quarter of businesses across the UK have temporarily closed since the lockdown began.
The LLEP is keen to hear from businesses that are affected by the current coronavirus pandemic and you can get in touch with a business adviser for help and advice using this form.
We are working with Local Resilience Forum (LLR Prepared) partners across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to deliver emergency planning for the area and planning future interventions towards recovery. Any impact information that businesses can share with us will feed into the recovery plans that are being developed.
For more information, please contact: admin@llep.lccwp-dev.tibushost.com
