Londonderry Chamber President Dawn McLaughlin
Reacting to the announcement of some Covid relaxations, Londonderry Chamber President Dawn McLaughlin said:
“It’s welcome news to see the Executive making some movement on lockdown relaxations this afternoon, albeit very small steps. The reinstatement of click and collect for all retail from 12 April is welcome as we look to reopen our economy. Click and collect has been proven to be done safely and securely with strict guidelines to protect workers and customers and is a vital lifeline for many small businesses who have been unable to trade for so long.
“While the First Minister has this afternoon acknowledged that these are very modest steps, businesses will be disappointed not to have seen more reopening dates today, even if they are purely indicative, especially those in retail, hospitality and close contact services. The 11-day gap between allowing click and collect for one specific sector and the rest of retail is also difficult to understand and it’s disappointing that all shops will not be able to operate this vital service from the same day. Ahead of the next review date on 15 April, we would urge the Executive to work closely with business as we look towards reopening our economy and society.”