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UKHospitality COVID-19 Daily Update May 6th
richardscamans • May 07, 2020
Latest news from UKHOSPITALITY
UKHOSPITALITY
POLITICAL UPDATE
* No 10 Press Briefing was today led by Secretary of State for
Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Robert Jenrick and
focused on how local economies and communities could be supported to
adapt and grow as part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.
* Government is encouraging local authorities and local resilience
forums to develop a restart and recovery plan to include guidance how
businesses can adapt for opening and public transport networks can be
operated. Ambition to ensure people feel safe returning to work.
* The Government are looking how more space can be created in town
centres for pedestrians, make it easier to cycle and work to work. They
will also work with areas hardest hit to help them recover.
Infrastructure projects will also continue where safe to do so.
* The 100 towns benefitting from the towns fund will continue to
receive support.
* During the Q+A Cornwall Live/Western Morning News asked a follow up
question about Tourism - raising concerns from businesses losing out on
a whole year of business if they do not open by July, he asked what the
Government will be doing to support them. Jenrick recognised that
communities such as Cornwall will be very hard hit due to its reliance
on tourism. He spoke about the previously announced business support,
Cornwall council have paid out £202m worth of grants to 17,789 firms
(one of the highest in England) and stressed that PM and Chancellor had
confirmed that if further interventions are required to support a sector
such as tourism and hospitality, they will be considered and bring
forward measures when needed.
* There was also a follow up question about whether a regional approach
to releasing lockdown would be adopted, and what support would be given
to police in order prevent people rushing to these areas. Jenrick spoke
generally about additional resources for police forces but stressed that
as lockdown would be gradually relaxed they did not want to intervene in
people’s movement or adopt a regional approach. The app and testing
regime will be used to limit individual rather than collective freedoms
and will be vital in enabling life to return to normal.
* It was asked whether Brexit negotiations should continue under the
current circumstances, Raab replied that the UK and EU should reduce
uncertainty by reaching an agreement by the end of the year.
* You can watch the full briefing here.
GOVERNMENT UPDATES
* Update on how local authorities
have received and distributed
funding to support small and medium businesses in England during
coronavirus.
* Isle of Wight residents will be the first to get access to a new
contact tracing app
as part of government action to minimise the spread
of COVID-19.
* Guidance for businesses [4] seeking to help voluntary, community, and
social enterprise organisations during the coronavirus (COVID-19)
outbreak has been published
* The opening remarks from the Secretary of State , formally
launching trade agreement negotiations between the UK and the U.S.
* A revaluation of business rates will no longer take place in 2021
to help reduce uncertainty for firms affected by the impacts of
coronavirus.
* There is no evidence of a link between 5G and coronavirus. These
theories have been rejected by scientific experts in the World Health
Organisation and Full Fact, a UK-based independent fact checking
charity.
* Visit Britain, the national tourism agency and a non-departmental
public body has set out its proposals for the recovery of international
tourism markets post COVID. Read the paper that VisitBritain
submitted on the recovery plan, which includes proposals for a new
industry standard quality mark to help tourism businesses,
attractions and destinations provide reassurance to visitors and
customers that they are taking the necessary steps to adhere to the
official Government guidelines. Discussions are ongoing with industry
and VisitEngland is in consultation with the national tourist boards for
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on a common approach.
* The Government has published new guidance on the tax treatment
of expenses and benefits provided to employees
for working from home as
well as salary sacrifice
* BEIS WEBINAR: 7 May, 11am Register to join a free webinar hosted by
the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to find
out more about managing your business during coronavirus.
OTHER UPDATES
* PPE REQUIREMENTS IN YOUR SECTOR: CBI are compiling data to estimate
the PPE requirements of different businesses so that it can feed this
into Government. The survey needs to be completed by Wednesday 13th and
is accessed through this link [12]
* UKHospitality is hosting the last virtual APPG roundtable, _COVID-19
Recovery - Hospitality Supply_ _Chains_ tomorrow (7 May) 10.30am.
Register here [13].
SITUATION UPDATE 6 MAY 2020
* To see the number of cases of COVID-19 in England and the UK visit
the UK COVID-19 dashboard - https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/
* To see the number of cases globally see the World Health Organisation
dashboard - https://covid19.who.int/
Links:
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[1] https://www.youtube.com/user/Number10gov/videos
[2]
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses
[3]
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-test-track-and-trace-plan-launched-on-isle-of-wight
[4]
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-for-businesses-seeking-to-help-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-organisations-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
[5]
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/truss-opening-statement-call-with-the-us-trade-representative
[6]
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/business-rates-revaluation-postponed
[7] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/5g-and-coronavirus-covid-19
[8]
https://www.visitbritain.org/helping-tourism-industry-recover-covid-19
[9]
https://www.visitbritain.org/new-industry-standard-development-response-covid-19#utm_source=VBVE_Enews_06_05_2020
[10]
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-treat-certain-expenses-and-benefits-provided-to-employees-during-coronavirus-covid-19
[11]
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-your-business-during-coronavirus-reporting-regulations-and-tax-tickets-103908238338?aff=BIRD
[12] https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9VVXMPY
[13] https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5122478845484486411
[14]
https://www.heathrow.com/latest-news/heathrow-covid19-detection-trials
[15] https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-05-05-01/
[16]
http://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2020/American-to-Require-Customers-to-Wear-Face-Coverings-Starting-May-11-OPS-DIS-04/default.aspx
[17] https://news.delta.com/facecoverings
[18]
https://news.flyfrontier.com/frontier-airlines-will-require-passengers-to-wear-face-coverings-effective-may-8/
[19]
http://otp.investis.com/clients/us/jetblue_airways/usn/usnews-story.aspx?cid=981&newsid=68480
[20]
https://www.swamedia.com/releases/release-48461735d2a28f8684dda2686d0e2a98-southwest-promise?query=masks
[21]
https://hub.united.com/united-coronavirus-covid19-safety-update-2645397564.html#flight-attendants
[22]
https://corporate.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/media/press-releases/Our-post-Covid19-future.html
[23]
https://carnival-news.com/2020/05/04/carnival-cruise-line-announces-plan-to-phase-in-service/
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