Redmond McFadden, President, Londonderry Chamber
Responding to the Executive’s announcement of new restrictions for the Derry and Strabane area, Londonderry Chamber President Redmond McFadden said:
"This is a bitterly disappointing step that the Executive has been forced to take to curb the virus spread across the North West. The dramatic spike in cases over recent weeks has been deeply concerning for everyone in our region and we support the Executive in taking steps necessary to save lives, protect the public and support our health service. However we have to acknowledge that the consequences of these measures will mean greater pressures on our already struggling businesses and may sadly lead to business closures and job losses, particularly in the hospitality sector.
“This virus poses a real and dangerous threat to both our society and economy, and is being spread by the carelessness of individuals. These new restrictions need to act as a wakeup call for all of us across the North West and I am pleading with everyone in our communities to take this threat seriously. We all need to abide by the basic rules of social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, and minimising our social contacts as much as possible.
As we go into what will undoubtedly be a very tough winter period, everyone needs to pull together again now and play their part to drive this virus back down, as the North West did at the beginning of the pandemic. This is an opportunity to suppress the virus again and, if we do this correctly, we can avoid greater restrictions or harsher lockdowns in the coming weeks and months. Everyone following the rules and acting responsibly will lead to a drop in cases, allow us to protect our most vulnerable, and keep our local businesses open.”