What’s New For Small Businesses This Week? – 23/04/2021

We have gone through this week’s news and have attempted to pull out the most relevant announcements for this round-up. Find out what’s new for small businesses this week.

Here is a brief look at the news you need to know:

Shoppers rush back for shopping as High Streets reopen
Restaurants and pubs have reopened, with indoor service resuming on 17 May
Coronavirus passports for foreign travel will be available ‘as soon as possible’

Shoppers rush back for shopping

Shoppers returned to the High Street last week to treat themselves after non-essential stores reopened in England and Wales. Evidence from the last two lockdowns suggested footfall will continue to increase over the next few weeks.

Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, added that the reopening of indoor hospitality on 17 May will provide a further boost to retail destinations as many indoor venues are in High Streets and shopping centres.

For more information click here.

Restaurants and pubs have reopened

Pubs and restaurants in England are open for outdoor seating – with people only allowed indoors to use the toilet. On the other side, in Wales, the outdoor hospitality will reopen on Monday 26 April. However, the prospect of an indoor pint is still several weeks off.

In England, it is hoped that the restrictions will be eased again in mid-May:

17 May: Customers can eat and drink indoors, in groups of up to six people, or two households of any size. Groups seated outside must have fewer than 30 people
21 June: All restrictions could be lifted, with nightclubs allowed to reopen

In Wales, indoor service could be allowed to open mid-May, the same proposed date as neighbouring England. Other lockdown rules changing in Wales are:

From Monday 3 May:

Gyms, leisure centres and fitness facilities can reopen; individual and one-to-one training will be allowed, but not exercise classes
People can form extended households again, allowing two households to meet and have contact indoors

From Monday 17 May:

Children’s indoor activities can resume
Community centres can open
Organised indoor activities for adults, limited to a maximum of 15 people; this includes exercise classes

For more information click here.

Coronavirus passports for foreign travel will be available ‘as soon as possible’

Vaccine passports for British holidaymakers are reportedly launching next month. Britons’ prospects of booking a foreign holiday this summer have been given a boost, with the government saying coronavirus passports will be available “as soon as possible”.

Many tourist hotspots will require visitors to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide proof of a recent negative test before entering the country. Coronavirus passports, also known as health certificates, would allow holidaymakers to meet this requirement.

It was reported earlier this month and confirmed plans for a traffic light system for international travel, with countries divided between “green”, “amber” and “red” destinations. Furthermore, under the proposals, there would be different travel restrictions applied to each category of country, which would be determined depending on their perceived COVID risk.

Quarantine-free travel would be allowed to “green” countries, while 10-day isolation periods would be required for those returning from “amber” destinations, and a 10-day mandatory quarantine period in a hotel would apply for those coming back from “red” countries.