It is “doubly important” that further support is given to those affected by the Aberdeen lockdown, a leading business organisation has said.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has outlined six key points it says are vital to limit the consequences of the temporary restrictions.
The organisation, which represents 190,000 UK businesses, drew up the plans following the implementation of Aberdeen’s lockdown.
It also looked at the chain of events which led to similar situations in Leicester and Greater Manchester.
The CBI has developed a six-point plan, which includes greater communication of the “trigger points” which would signal the introduction or removal of a restriction, and for these announcements to be made “at the right time, to the right people.”
It said messages regarding this must be clear, and should signpost exactly where business owners can go to advice.
An increase in test and protect efforts, and a framework for councils to quickly hand out emergency cash are also important for local economies to recover, the organisation said.
Tracy Black, CBI Scotland director, said there is no “one size fits all” solution if a local lockdown is imposed.
She added: “Each will have their own impact on businesses directly and indirectly, so we must get the building blocks in place to protect jobs, as well as lives.
“For the hospitality sector in Aberdeen, that means bracing for a difficult second hit, just as it was looking to get back on its feet.
“We are learning all the time, and now have more tools in our armoury to combat infection risks.
“But at the same time business resilience is lower than it has ever been, with cash and stockpiles run down.
“For an area like the north-east of Scotland, that has already suffered from a downturn in oil and gas, it’s doubly important to get that right.”