New Forest Business Partnership chief Matthew Lawson welcomes government's stage 4 roadmap decision

NEW Forest businesses will survive if residents get out and support them when most of the remaining coronavirus restrictions are lifted on Monday, a business chief has said.

Matthew Lawson, New Forest Business Partnership (NFBP) chair, urged residents to do their bit to help firms: “Our local

New Forest businesses cautiously welcome every step towards being able to reopen fully and trade without restrictions.

“The local economy has a long way to go in order to bounce back, but with the support of residents and visitors, shopping locally wherever and whenever possible, our fantastic traders, venues, producers and suppliers will survive this crisis.

“At the same time, we all hope those visiting our local businesses will make the right choice to protect themselves and those who serve them at a time when local case numbers are still rising.”

This week Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed step four of the roadmap would proceed on Monday. He said it was a “balance of risks” and the public should “continue to be cautious”.

It means the majority of coronavirus restrictions, such as the mandatory wearing of face masks in public, will end although guidance will emphasise personal responsibility.

The government said while Covid-19 cases would “continue to rise”, the vaccination programme has “substantially weakened the link between infection and serious illness or death”.

Andrew Wickham, managing director of Morebus and Bluestar, said the company would not enforce mask wearing but “strongly advised” passengers to continue doing so, even when restrictions are lifted.

“The government has announced wearing a face covering on public transport is no longer mandatory, and has given individuals the choice,” he said.

“We understand this is a decision for each individual to make, but we urge our customers to consider others when travelling with us, and we strongly advise that they wear a face covering.

“All on-board seating will be available from Monday 19th July meaning, for most journeys, there will be plenty of space for customers to keep their distance from others.”

A South Western Railway spokesperson could not confirm on Wednesday if it would enforce mask wearing, adding it would “await the detailed guidance from the government”.