Rishi Sunak goes shopping as retail prepares to reopen
Rishi Sunak visited a Waterstones yesterday as retail businesses across England prepare to reopen tomorrow.
Sunak inspected some of the safety measures that the bookstore had implemented, such as screens between checkout workers and customers.
England’s 7,000 high streets will open tomorrow as a part of the government’s easing of the lockdown.
All shops that open must conform to the government’s “Covid secure” guidelines, with potential fines for non-compliance.
Waterstones, for example, has to ensure everyone keeps a two-metre distance, limiting the number of customers allowed in at a time, frequently santising furniture and removing and quarantining books that have been browsed.
“As our high streets begin to reopen after this period of crisis, small businesses will be at the very heart of that economic recovery,” Federation of Small Businesses chair Mike Cherry said.
“Making up 99 per cent of all businesses in the country, small firms are the backbone of the economy and at the heart of the economic recovery in their local communities in the weeks and months to come.
“The general public and communities have been fantastic in supporting their local businesses through this difficult time. The reopening of shops is a landmark day, so please do support your local small businesses this week.”
Boris Johnson is expected to soon announce when the hospitality sector can reopen as the next phase of easing the lockdown.
The government’s roadmap says the sector will not be allowed to open before 4 July.
Hospitality bodies have lobbied the government to change its two-metre social distancing rule, with businesses worried the rule will keep them from trading profitably.
Sunak confirmed today that the government would review the rule.
Speaking to Sky News today, Sunak said: “The Prime Minister has put in place a comprehensive review of the two metre rule… That review will involve the scientists, economists and others so that we can look at it in the round.
“You are right to highlight the impact it has on business; I know that of course it’s the difference between three-quarters and maybe a third of pubs opening, for example, so it’s important that we look at it.”