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Announcement Next Week On When Restrictions Could End

Ordering drinks at the bar and drinking while stood up in pubs and bars are still not allowed.

We're due to find out on Wednesday 11 August when Jersey's remaining COVID restrictions could be lifted.

Their removal has been delayed several times because of high case numbers.

The authorities said two weeks ago that stand-up drinking in pubs and bars and the full reopening of nightclubs would not happen until September.

Economic Development Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham says the government is working towards ending restrictions as soon as possible.

"We'll be making an announcement next week, Ministers are due to meet next Tuesday (10 August) to discuss and decide upon the next steps.

"I very much hope we can end the restrictions as soon as possible."

The original plan was to lift these restrictions on 14 June, but the presence of the Delta variant and rising case rates has led to the move being delayed.

That has led to the decision to further extend COVID business support measures.

The events sector has raised concerns about the decision to only extend the co-funding payroll scheme by another month.

An extra £3.6million is being spent to do that, with retail and health and wellbeing businesses able to qualify once again because of the decision to advise people to work from home.

Three other schemes, including the Visitor Attraction and Events fund, have been extended until next March.

Simon Harper from Harper's catering says extending the co-funded scheme until September 'is not enough' for his business.

"The problem is we then go into winter which is normally quiet anyway into January, February, and March. So it is two years of massively reduced income.

"We generally do need more help. We are keeping our heads above water, but a lot of the schemes are quite complicated and the qualifying criteria make it difficult to apply for it and I think there needs to be a better system.

"I don't think people are asking for money hand over fist, we just seem to be a bit of a forgotten industry that will do this and do that.

"We're basically two years of trading on hugely downscaling on what we do. It's a fairly big hit to take. We've got all families and mortgages to pay and while generally, I don't think people are concerned about their business going under, the money isn't coming from anywhere at the moment or coming in a trickle."

The co-funded payroll schemes have been extended several times already and Senator Farnham says if it needs to run beyond September, it will.

"We extended the schemes for July and August and we said we'd keep them under constant review.

"Because of the restrictions that are still in place, we've decided to extend it for September and we will keep that under review.

"The undertaking is still there from government to ensure that the business support stays in place whilst it's needed."

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