Eastbourne businesses are ready for ‘Super-Saturday’

As pubs, hair salons, cafes, children’s playgrounds, hotels, museums and cinemas are all permitted to open from tomorrow (Saturday July 4), officials in Eastbourne, including the council, police, emergency services and NHS, are urging people to stay alert to Covid-19 and avoid placing strain on health services.

Public services are also preparing for the potential impact of the changes which will see people able to drink and socialise in ‘Covid-secure’ licensed premises for the first time in months.

Eastbourne council leader David Tutt has encouraged residents to do ‘what we can to support our local businesses’ – but reiterated the need to be careful.

He said, “The further relaxation of lockdown measures will bring some welcome relief to many businesses. Many of those which are currently closed will reopen on July 4 including pubs, restaurants and hairdressers. The past few months have been really tough for most businesses and I fear that many may fold, resulting in the loss of a large number of jobs.

“I believe that it was right to put health first, we know that the risks of catching CV-19 are not over yet, as evidenced by the spike in cases in Leicester, which has taken that city back into another 14 days of lockdown. So, while I am sure we will do what we can to support our local businesses, it remains important to be careful and continue to observe the government guidelines.”

Eastbourne Police Inspector Rachel Barrow said, “We want everyone to be able to enjoy the additional freedom but our plea is to do this safely. All authorities are working closely together to support the further re-opening of the local economy with a view to maximising public safety and to preventing and tackling anti-social or criminal behaviour.”