Hotels and restaurants face a summer of shutdowns after their workers were not included in quarantine exemptions, the government has been told.
Industry body UK Hospitality said the sector should work with one hand tied behind its back while the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said the impact on the sector could threaten UK national holidays this year .
Supermarket staff were also left out, prompting a retail boss to say there was no point in granting exemptions further up the food supply chain if he didn’t. there was no one to put these foods on the shelves.
Government list of 16 industries will excuse ‘critical’ staff for having to self-isolate if ‘screwed’ by the NHS COVID app – but several sectors have been left out and others that are included say they need to know more details – and quickly.
The CBI said the list is expected to be expanded in the coming days.
The Road Haulage Association – representing an industry already in trouble with a lack of drivers even before the so-called ‘pingdemia’ – said Whitehall’s advice was ‘confusing and tangled in bureaucracy’.
Kate Nicholls, Managing Director of UK Hospitality, said: “It is disappointing that the government has listed roles so narrowly and let hospitality and the rest of the economy face the consequences.
“We are now facing a summer of site closures and reduced services when we should be at a seasonal peak. The industry will do everything possible to provide excellent service, but it will be with one hand tied behind its back. “
Craig Beaumont, director of external affairs for the Federation of Small Businesses, told Sky News it could affect people taking vacations this summer if hotels and restaurants in UK destinations are closed.
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-07-22 16:52:00