A man's idea on how to support local businesses during the current health crisis has gone viral on Facebook.
The coronavirus pandemic has not only disrupted travel and socialising but has also created a lot of uncertainty and financial hardship for independent businesses.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to avoid pubs, clubs and theatres and to stop all non-essential contact and travel, and work from home if they can.
While these measures are important to help stop the spread of the virus, independent businesses fear it could have a devastating impact on their trade.
One Facebook user however, has thought of a clever way that can help businesses to stay afloat.
Peter Jurney, from the United States wrote to his public page: "Fear of the coronavirus is keeping people away from restaurants, who usually operate on small margins.
"So, here's something you can do: go to your favourite restaurant and buy a gift certificate (or get it online if possible) or buy it directly from the restaurant, so that they get the use of your money for a month or two.
"Then, when things have settled down, treat your sweetie to an evening out and use your certificate!"
So far, the post has 14,000 likes, 1,700 comments and more than 40,000 shares.
"Great idea! Same applies to your favourite small gift shops, markets, boutiques etc," one user replied.
"Brilliant idea! Let's make sure we're supporting local businesses at this time," another said.
"What a great initiative," a third added.
