Thursday, 15 July 2021
For the second time in a month, South Australian businesses are facing another round of COVID restrictions, despite having avoided a hard lockdown which would have been catastrophic.
The South Australian Business Chamber appreciates these preventative measures are not a hard lockdown, but asks how long businesses, notably in the hospitality and tourism industries, will be able to absorb the brunt of the seesawing trading conditions.
Following the announcement of the re-implementation of restrictions by Premier Marshall today, the business community has spoken out about the difficult circumstances they find themselves in, with no available financial support to offset expected losses from cancellations and reduced turnover.
The South Australian Business Chamber Chief Executive Martin Haese says: “Although the health advice is clear, the changing restrictions with no local community transmitted cases continue to send shock waves through the economy.”
“Hospitality, tourism, events and retail are all bearing the brunt of these restrictions. These industries are without a doubt the most impacted, even with lower-level restrictions in place.” said Mr Haese.
“Unlike last time, there is no indication of the timeframe of these restrictions which is providing considerably anxiety for business owners.”
The South Australian Business Chamber’s position remains that any measures that restrict the ability for businesses to trade must not remain in place for one minute longer than necessary.
