The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry is hoping that the tougher Covid-19 lockdown restrictions imposed on the country will only be for 14 days.

It notes that restaurants and the hospitality industry at large were only now emerging from the hard lockdown of last year. However this is now another devastating setback for the sector.

The Chamber’s President Jacques Moolman says they are seeing an increasing number of small businesses needing to shut their doors.

Under alert level 4 four restaurants have been limited to doing only takeaways and deliveries while gyms and entertainment sites have been ordered to close for this period.

Meanwhile government has been urged to financially assist businesses that are unable to operate during this period. Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC David Maynier says the UIF Covid-19 TERS scheme should be reopened as a lifeline to businesses.

Maynier has made a request to the Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi.

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