{"id":163251,"date":"2020-10-31T19:35:26","date_gmt":"2020-10-31T19:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/furlough-extended-as-non-essential-retail-and-hospitality-forced-to-close-again\/"},"modified":"2021-08-06T12:08:49","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T12:08:49","slug":"furlough-extended-as-non-essential-retail-and-hospitality-forced-to-close-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/furlough-extended-as-non-essential-retail-and-hospitality-forced-to-close-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Furlough extended as non-essential retail and hospitality forced to close again"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed the Government's furlough scheme will be extended until December<\/strong> as he announced tough new national measures across England, including the forced closure of non-essential retail, to combat spiralling coronavirus cases.<\/p>\n

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Johnson called a press conference this evening as information about the plans were leaked to certain media outlets last night.<\/p>\n

In his speech the Prime Minister said: \"I\u2019m afraid non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues will all be closed, though click and collect services will continue<\/strong> and essential shops will remain open.<\/p>\n

\"Pubs, bars, restaurants must close, except for takeaway and delivery services.\"<\/p>\n

The measures come into force as 12.01am on Thursday and will remain in place for four weeks,<\/strong> after which certain areas of the country may be exited into the previous three-tier system of restrictions.<\/p>\n

It is understood that essential retailers, such as supermarkets, will not be obliged to remove non-essential items from sale,<\/strong> which they were forced to do at short notice in Wales for the country's current two-week national lockdown.<\/p>\n

Johnson was keen to stress that the new measures were not the same as the tough lockdown of March to June. Schools will remain open and people will be encouraged to go outside for exercise,<\/strong> though they should work from home if possible.<\/p>\n

\"We\u2019re not going back to the full scale lockdown of March and April, the measures that I\u2019ve outlined are far less primitive and less restrictive.<\/strong> Though, I\u2019m afraid, from Thursday, the basic message is the same: Stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives,\" he said.<\/p>\n

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Following the PM\u2019s announcement on further restrictions across the country we have decided to extended the furlough scheme for a further month covering 80% of employees\u2019 wages. pic.twitter.com\/qqlpu6wcI6<\/a><\/p>\n

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 31, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n