Britain: Πακέτο 1bn support package for companies hardest hit by Omicron

A new πα 1 billion support package for businesses most affected by the coronavirus Omicron wave, which affects the hospitality industry and beyond, was announced by Britain on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Risi Sunak said he was confident the measures would help hundreds of thousands of businesses, adding that he would “respond proportionately and appropriately” if the government imposed further restrictions to slow down Omicron.

Currently, hospitality companies in the UK are not subject to new legal restrictions despite a 60% increase in coronavirus cases last week, which has pushed the number of infections to around 90,000 per day.

Bars and restaurants in Scotland will only be seated from 26 December.

According to the announcement of the British Ministry of Finance, the affected hospitality and entertainment companies in England are eligible for a grant of up to 6,000 pounds for each of their units, which corresponds to almost 700 million pounds of the new package.

The new grant is similar to that given to hosting companies that closed completely this year, according to the finance ministry.

However, unlike what happened during previous waves of the pandemic, there will be no additional state aid for workers who lose their jobs or whose working hours are reduced. The British Treasury said job vacancies were 50% higher than before the pandemic.

In the meantime, the fund for the support of cultural organizations will be strengthened with 30 million pounds, while 100 million pounds will be allocated to local authorities for business support measures and 150 million pounds will receive the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In addition to the 1 1 billion package, the Treasury announced that it would cover the cost of legal sick pay for coronavirus absences of up to two weeks per employee for small and medium-sized companies across the UK.