Health Secretary Sajid Javid today confirmed that the time people with Covid-19 have to spend in self-isolation is to be cut to five full days from Monday. Below, four financial and investment professionals share their thoughts on this decision:
Marcus Wright, MD of Bolton Business Finance: “This will be a great relief for small business who have been hit hard with staff shortages caused by isolation. Staff working in restaurants, pubs and shops simply cannot work from home and the recent disruption has been huge. We were promised life back to normal after the vaccine, so surely it’s time to get on with our lives, stop damaging small businesses and let people exercise their own choices?”
Kevin Bailey, managing director of Shaftesbury-based Wessex Investment Management: “It is time to move on and accept that we need to allow businesses to work unfettered. Yes there will still be issues with staff getting ill but that is normal. We need to learn to live with Covid and say goodbye to the restrictions.”
Graham Cox, founder of the Bristol-based Self-Employed Mortgage Hub: “This feels like the right balance at the moment. Five days is far less onerous on employers and employees alike, especially as part of the isolation period is still likely to fall at the weekend. Hopefully by spring, we’ll fast be approaching herd immunity and we can get back to some semblance of normality.”
Lewis Shaw, founder of Mansfield-based Shaw Financial Services: “They’re making it up as they go along. This is just another announcement to bury the PM’s lies and corruption.”
