Business community frustration at Stormont lockdown exit plan

Dear reader

The fall-out from Tuesday’s announcement of a roadmap to recovery by the Stormont Executive has continued unabated today.

So many people were looking forward to seeing how ministers would lift the lockdown in Northern Ireland which was implemented on December 26.

However, those who sensed that information from the Executive would be in short supply were proven right, with the roadmap lacking dates and data and attracting almost universal derision across many sectors in Northern Ireland.

A number of business owners have come forward to criticise the roadmap, with restaurant owners Stevie Higginson of Square Bistro in Lisburn saying he has now “lost all confidence” in the Executive while Ian Clyde of the Bronte Steakhouse in Banbridge saying he now feels at “an all-time low”.

The latest statistics released by the Department of Health show that four more people with Covid-19 died in Northern Ireland while another 226 positive Covid-19 cases were diagnosed.

Alistair Bushe

Editor

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