Over 400,000 people sign up to support the NHS

In today’s COVID-19 Coronavirus briefing, Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, thanked people for following the Government’s advice on Monday to stay at home. He also praised the UK’s Health Workers and Police and, in particular, thanked the 405,000 people who have volunteered to support the NHS.

Colmore BID is continuing to liaise with partners to obtain more information about the various schemes aimed at supporting businesses and their employees. More details of these will be shared once they have been provided to us. In summary, this relief includes:

• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
• A Business Rates Holiday for all businesses occupying Retail, Leisure and Hospitality properties in the next financial year
• A £10,000 grant to businesses receiving Small Business Rates Relief
• Access to grants of £25,000 for occupied Retail, Leisure and Hospitality properties with a rateable value of less than £51,000
• Access to enhanced Statutory Sick Pay for employees and repayment for employers

The Government advice to people is to stay at home, unless:

• You are shopping for essentials
• You are carrying out exercise, once per day
• You are leaving your home to respond to a medical need
• You are travelling to or from work, where that work cannot be done from home

The Government announced that a number of enforcement powers have also been signed off to effect the following

• Fines for individuals and dispersal orders for large groups who refuse to follow the above advice
• All shops that are non-essential will be closed
• Libraries, gyms and places of worship will all be closed
• Gatherings of more than 2 will be broken up
• All social events, except funerals are cancelled.

Colmore BID remains available to support our businesses, as well as our public sector parters. Please contact the team in the usual way, or email info@colmorebid.co.uk

Colmore BID will continue to share confirmed, factual information during this crisis. You can keep up to date by subscribing to our mailing lists. You can join these by emailing info@colmorebid.co.uk. You can also keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.