Business leaders want Coventry to avoid highest Covid-19 restrictions when tier system kicks in

Business leaders in Coventry have called on the city to escape the highest level of Coronavirus restrictions once the new tiered system is introduced.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce says health must come first when ‘Lockdown 2’ comes to a close next week but that it is also vital for the city’s economy to avoid Tier Three if the figures support that.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s vitally important that Coventry is looked at in its own right when it comes to the decision on which tier it is placed into and its figures are more optimistic than the wider region.

“We have said all along that health must come first but that has to be balanced with the economic impacts which is precisely what the tiered system aims to do.

“So, for a city that is the size of Coventry it should be judged on what its own figures say when it comes to the Tier system – not other parts of the West Midlands.

“This is a crucial time for the city as it looks ahead to 2021 and there is a great deal happening in the next few weeks that will help for those preparations as well as giving an economic boost to businesses pre-Christmas.

“We hope, therefore, that the city will have the appropriate restrictions, giving businesses the chance to open – where possible – as safely as possible.”