Businesses urged to ‘redouble’ Covid safety efforts

APPEAL: Hull City Council Chief Executive, Matt Jukes. Picture by Tom Arran Commercial Photography

Business owners across Hull are being implored to “redouble” their efforts to help stop the spread of Covid-19 - and warned they could face even greater restrictions if the virus isn’t brought under control.

With the city currently experiencing some of the highest infection rates in the country, businesses are being asked to do everything they can to try and combat the unprecedented crisis.

Matt Jukes, Chief Executive of Hull City Council, has written to thousands of business to remind them of their responsibilities in trying to manage and mitigate the risk of infection.

In his letter, Mr Jukes praises the business community for its response to the pandemic but also warns it could face even more severe restrictions if the infection rates don’t start to drop.

Mr Jukes states: “This year has been an incredibly difficult one and we should all be proud of how our Hull business community has responded to the coronavirus crisis and the huge challenges that have been presented to us.

“During this crisis, Hull City Council have being doing our utmost to support our businesses and will continue to do this in any way that we can.

“I’m sure you are aware that Hull’s coronavirus infection rate has climbed dramatically in the past few weeks and is now among the worst in the country (at the time of writing, it is 770 per 100,000). The situation is extremely serious and is already having a dramatic effect on the capacity of our local hospitals, and the ability of our wider public services, to cope.

“As a city, we are at the toughest point of the pandemic so far. It has, therefore, never been more important that, together, we take collective responsibility and do everything possible to slow and stop the spread of the virus.”

Mr Jukes reminds businesses of the following key messages:

• Staff who can work from home should do so wherever possible.

• Social distancing and Covid-secure measures should be in place, rigorously followed and monitored in all workplaces which remain open to staff and customers.

• In the event of any staff presenting with symptoms, they should be advised to immediately self-isolate and book a test. Staff who have been in proximity with them should also be advised to immediately self-isolate.

He goes on to say: “The reality is that the challenges and restrictions our business community faces will not be relaxed until we get this virus locally under control. As things stand, if / when the national lockdown ends on December 2, the restrictions for Hull will remain severe and may even increase.

“This will bring yet more challenges and further damage to our businesses and local economy. The simple message is that, the faster we bring the numbers down, the sooner we will get back to more normal trading conditions.

“The pandemic has hit some businesses and sectors much harder than others, with many currently now closed. That’s why we are asking our wider business community to do everything that you can to protect yourselves, your workforce, your customers and our city.

“We have a responsibility to each other to ensure we are all taking the appropriate action.

“Only when we have this virus under control will we be able to ease restrictions and get our local economy back to where it should be.

“That’s why we are urging all the great businesses in our city to redouble your efforts and check that you are taking all of the necessary steps now to ensure we can get back on track as soon as possible.”

‘URGENT’: Hull City Council leader, Steve Brady. Picture by Tom Arran Commercial Photography

Mr Jukes’ appeal to the business community comes as city council leader Steve Brady made an impassioned plea to Boris Johnson for Government support.

Councillor Brady has written to the Prime Minister asking for urgent assistance to cope with the “astonishing and terrifying” spread of the virus.

In his letter, Coun Brady highlights the lack of Government assistance in tackling the pandemic to date and expresses his fear Hull has once again become “the forgotten city”

He says: “Hull and our people have dealt with some huge challenges in the past and we have always overcome them but, on this occasion, as has too frequently been the case in the past, we seem, once again, to be the forgotten city.”

Any business owner unsure of the measures they should have in place should visit www.gov.uk for the latest guidance.

Information about available support and grants can be found on the council’s website.

Its dedicated Business Support Team is also available to offer advice and assistance on business.support@hullcc.gov.uk.