Clare Businesses Call From Clarity On Supports In Wake Of Omicron Wave

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Businesses in Clare are calling on the Government to provide clarity on supports for the hospitality sector beyond the end of January.

It comes as NPHET is meeting today to consider changing rules around close contacts as businesses across the country struggle with staff shortages.

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Public health officials are meeting today to discuss changing close contact rules.

The National Public Health Emergency Team is holding talks on what advice to give Government on dealing with the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The government has asked its members to review the isolation requirements for close contacts of confirmed cases, given staff shortages being experienced by businesses and essential services.

Professor of Immunology at Trinity College Luke O’Neill says evidence to support the theory that omicron is milder than previous variants is growing stronger each day.

A number of businesses in Clare have had to shut their doors in recent weeks over staff shortages, among them the Shannon Springs Hotel in Shannon, which has since re-opened a takeaway-only service.

Owner Dermot Kelly, who’s the Chair of the Shannon branch of the Irish Hotels Federation says businesses will have to adopt and wait and see approach and be guided by public health advice.

But he believes business supports will need to be extended far beyond the end of Janaury in the wake of the Omicron wave.

An Ennis business owner has hit out over the Government’s failure to introduce a VAT rate reduction.

Sweet N Green in Ennis closed for an extended period over Christmas, as a precautionary measure and has since re-opened.

Owner Frank Landy says business supports have been a lifeline, particularly for smaller businesses, but he believes the VAT rate for the hospitality sector could also have been revised for the coming months.