Small businesses can plan ahead
Removal of isolation requirements for close contacts in NSWs and Victoria comes as great news for small business, leaders say.
From 6pm on Friday, April 22, providing they have no symptoms and comply with health guidelines, close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases won’t need to isolate. For people who test positive, including those who record a positive RAT or PCR result, the seven-day isolation requirement remains.
Business NSW chief executive Daniel Hunter (pictured above) said removal of isolation requirements for close contacts was “great news” for the business community, commending the NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet for his “swift action”.
Having joined his Victorian counterpart in calling for the end to isolation requirements in two of the nation’s largest economies, Hunter said governments in both states had listened to the needs of business.
“This has been a difficult time for many business owners who’ve had to close their doors or operate under reduced conditions because healthy staff have been at home in isolation,” Hunter said.
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He said it made no sense that some industries were exempt from the rules, which created a “two-tiered structure” that was damaging to business confidence and future planning.
“Small businesses in particular can plan future production with more confidence knowing that staff are more likely to be available for long periods of time with the relaxation of these rules,” Hunter said.
“Business fully appreciates the complexity of dealing with the pandemic and the conditions that had to be imposed to keep the community safe, and the NSW government has done a stellar job in that regard.”
CAFBA CEO David Gill (pictured) said uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for small businesses to plan ahead.
“Small business has faced an uncertain two years, firstly with the lockdowns and then managing with restrictions as they opened back up,” Gill said. “The uncertain nature of this with the inability to plan, from stock levels to staffing needs, has taken its toll on small business, particularly in the hospitality sector.”
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Easing of restrictions in NSW and Victoria was pleasing, he said, indicating that governments had listened to industry concerns and co-ordinated the easing of restrictions in the two states.
“This will greatly assist small business to attract and maintain staff, so they can plan for the future with greater certainty,” Gill said.
Moving forward, small businesses would attempt to re-establish themselves, as they’ll have the ability to plan with greater certainty.
“Some businesses have not been able to operate to full capacity whilst overheads remained constant, so the ability to either ramp up services or production can be done in a co-ordinated manner without restrictions on growth,” Gill said.
