THE chief executive of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce has given his views of the latest covid restrictions.

Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement of Plan B restrictions, Hampshire Chamber chief executive and executive chairman Ross McNally said: “The return of working from home guidance, from next Monday, coupled with the introduction of vaccine passports and tighter rules on mask wearing in most public indoor venues all add up to the kind of last-minute Christmas present businesses did not want to see.

“Exhausted employers have had nearly two years of trying to navigate this pandemic and thanks to their resilience, imagination and sheer hard work, many have begun to recoup losses, stabilise operations and turn their prospects around.

“Now, with these latest measures and the speed with which they are to be implemented, there are bound to be impacts on consumer and spending behaviour with a consequent risk to business confidence.

“It is therefore absolutely essential that the government now redoubles its efforts to provide a package of business support measures to help avoid more economic damage.

“For our part, we will continue to advise our members across Hampshire of what is currently available through grants, loans and other measures, working with our partners in local and central government and other business support organisations.”