The Licensed Victuallers Association has called for more support from the government after a meeting to discuss the impact of the Omicron variant on the hospitality industry.

LVA chair Geoff Joughin said that one issue which saw almost unanimous agreement at the ’packed’ meeting at JC’s Bar was that the government’s LoveIOM gift card scheme should not be launched in January as planned, considering the emergence of the new variant.

The scheme is intended to support the hospitality industry by giving people rewards for shopping local with businesses that were signed up.

However, Mr Joughin said that it seemed a ’double standard’ to launch it now, when the government is advising people to be cautious in crowded areas as a precautionary measure against Covid.

Mr Joughin said the scheme should perhaps wait until there is a clearer picture of how the variant will affect the island.

On Thursday (December 2) the government’s Economic Recovery Group released its financial support plans for local businesses ’in light of continuing pressures around Covid-19’.

This includes a grant that will be offered to all businesses that have suffered a 25% downturn in the qualifying period (which is yet to be determined), in the catering, hospitality, retail (non-essential), and lifestyle sectors with commercial premises equivalent to four years’ business rates, intended to provide support for premises costs for the period of December 2021 to March 2022.

Hospitality businesses will also be eligible for a one-off grant of £3,000 in January, if they can demonstrate 25% downturn in business for December 2021.

Mr Joughin said the latter was ’a pittance’ and that LVA members had been hoping for more support, and possibly rate relief.

Also discussed at Wednesday’s meeting was mask-wearing by staff, with the LVA yet to settle on a unified policy. It currently is leaving it up to individual venues to decide.

l More information on new government financial support measures on page two.