Leicester Lockdown Brings A Sense Of Reality To Proceedings

Just as everyone seems to be getting rather giddy about the fact that the lockdown restrictions are easing and we are entering the era of the “new normal”, one particular city in England has been brought crashing back to earth with the news that it is going back into lockdown on Saturday July 4th.

Spike Of Coronavirus Infections In Leicester

Leicester has apparently been showing up to more than 3 times the average rate of infections, compared to the rest of the country, so the government has felt the need to bring back restrictions to stem the spread of the coronavirus. This must have come as a hammer blow to many businesses in the city as some were gearing up to open for the first time in over 3 months this coming Saturday.

This just goes to show that we are certainly not out of the woods by any means yet. In many countries where lockdown restrictions were eased before us, the rate of infections has risen significantly. Both areas of China and Germany have seen large spikes which they are now having to deal with.

A second wave of the virus is one thing that I think we all fear. This could happen either very soon after lockdown restrictions are eased, or it could happen in the autumn, unfortunately there is no way of knowing for sure.

The only thing we do know is that we have to be very careful, at least until some sort of vaccine is created, and use common sense with social distancing measures and washing our hands thoroughly on a very regular basis.

Tough Economic Times In Northern Ireland

Here in Northern Ireland the economic landscape is pretty harsh to say the least and of course we have Brexit on the horizon with the added complications this will entail, particularly in our country. Add this to the mix with Covid-19 and you don`t have to be a genius to see that we are entering a very tough period for the vast majority of businesses out there.

Businesses Planning For Every Scenario

There is no simple answer to any of the above, all businesses can do is try to stay on as flexible a footing as possible, plan for all the different scenarios and ensure they are accessing all the funds and grants etc that are available to them now and in the near future.

WHR Accountants can help with all the above, helping you to draw up a sensible business plan for the months ahead and ensuring that you get access to all the available funds out there. For more details on our services just give us a call at our offices here in Armagh on 028 3752 2909.