Cumbria Chamber of Commerce is urging businesses to co-operate with NHS Test and Trace to prevent a second coronavirus lockdown from being imposed here.
It says that a local lockdown of the sort applied in Leicester would have a disastrous effect on confidence and recovery.
Chamber Chief Executive Rob Johnston said: “The experience in Leicester is a warning to us all.
“Businesses there had invested heavily in safe working and social-distancing measures so they could operate safely and were then forced to shut again leaving them with no revenue.
“Some won’t survive a second lockdown. Visitors are staying away from Leicester and the city’s image has been tarnished.
“Cumbria, which relies heavily on the visitor economy, simply cannot afford to suffer reputational damage of this sort.
“It’s vital that businesses in hospitality and close-contact services, such as hairdressers, fulfil their obligation to keep records of visiting customers so they can be traced in the event of someone testing positive for Covid-19.
“It can feel like an onerous bureaucratic burden but it’s absolutely key to keeping a lid on this.
“It’s important too that businesses don’t abuse the information they collect. It’s purely for the benefit of NHS Test and Trace and can’t be used for marketing purposes, for example.”
He has spoken out in response to a spike in infections in Carlisle and news that customers at four pubs in the city may have been exposed to the virus between July 9 and 18.
Rob added: “We know that some consumers, especially older people, are still reluctant to visit shops and eating places because they’re worried about picking up the virus.
“The best way to give them confidence to return is to drive down the infection rate. Only NHS Test and Trace can do that. It’s in the interests of every business to make it work.”
There is information on NHS Test and Trace in the Chamber’s Restart Toolkit: https://www.cumbriachamber.co.uk/news/28573-restart-rebuild-and-renew
Businesses can download the official guidance, a list of frequently asked questions and advice from the Information Commissioner on the data protection implications of collecting personal information on staff and customers.
