Nightclub owners have finally heard the words they've waited 16 months to hear but businesses will still be 'fighting for survival' for years to come, industry leaders have said.
Today, Boris Johnson announced that the strict social distancing measures will be relaxed completely so that capacity caps will be lifted and all businesses shut at the start of the pandemic will be allowed to fully reopen on July 19.
Welcoming the news, Sacha Lord, the nighttime economy adviser for Greater Manchester said: "Just like the financial crash of 2008, the impact of the Covid crisis will be felt for years to come.
READ MORE: All the rules changing on July 19 from face masks to social distancing in pubs
"There have been times where the announcements we have heard today have seemed a distant dream and I am thrilled for all involved in the night life sector who can finally begin to restart normality.
“However, we must recognise that with the crippling debt burdens accrued over the past [16] months, these same businesses will be fighting for their survival for the next three years at least.
“It is imperative that the Government continues to support the sectors most affected by this crisis in order to stave off a generation of unemployment and bankruptcy.”
Also welcoming the news Mark Davyd, the founder and chief executive of the Music Venue Trust, said: “This is obviously extremely welcome news for millions of music fans, for artists, crew, venues and local communities who have been deprived of live music for so long. Since March 2020, Music Venue Trust’s aim has been to Reopen Every Venue Safely.
“We have been working alongside the grassroots music venue sector throughout this crisis to identify methods by which we can achieve that, regardless of any current government guidelines and resulting limitations and restrictions. The keyword for us and the sector throughout these long difficult months has been ‘safely’.
“This announcement is hugely important and provides the opportunity to revive live music. It does not, however, change the central mission or the importance of the word ‘safely’.
“We are re-energising our efforts to work with our fantastic network of grassroots music venues to ensure that what each of them delivers to the public from July 19 meets the highest standards of Covid security and safety within the new guidelines.”
The head of the trade body for the leisure and hospitality sector has said businesses will be “celebrating” the latest announcement on the lifting of lockdown restrictions.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “The Prime Minister’s announcement marks a major milestone in how England will come to live with Covid and will be celebrated by hospitality business owners and their staff across the country.
“For the vast majority of hospitality businesses, July 19 – if confirmed next week – will be the first time in 16 months that they have been able to realistically look to break even and move towards profitability.”
She added: “Hospitality businesses will continue to provide safe and enjoyable experiences as we move into the summer and beyond and, in doing so, will also safeguard jobs, livelihoods and the venues we cherish so much.
“In order to do so, venues will need autonomy to act according to their own risk assessments, without local authority gold-plating, and a workable test and trace system that doesn’t demand blanket self-isolation like the test to remain-style system, to ensure that we can both protect our staff but trade with sufficient teams.”
