With the coronavirus outbreak hitting the 海角视频's economy hard and the country having yesterday moved from the 'contain' to the 'delay' approach, businesses across the North West will be concerned over what happens next - and what they should be doing.
As of Friday afternoon, the number of people diagnosed with the virus had risen to 798, with 10 people having died.
In the week that global property showcase MIPIM would be taking place but for the outbreak, we have rounded up what's been cancelled, how prepared North West firms are for the outbreak, and advice that's being given to businesses.
#canceleverything
With the above term trending on Twitter, here's are some of the postponements to hit our region so far:
- Global property conference MIPIM has already been postponed until June - a move that saw businesses from across areas such as Manchester, Liverpool and Cheshire cancel big plans, giving up hopes of forging deals.
- Premier League matches - which started with Wednesday's Manchester City vs Arsenal on Wednesday - have been suspended until April.
- The Northern Power Women Awards that were set to take place in Manchester on Monday with media, tech, finance and sporting figures up for accolades, have also been postponed. Nominees were emailed late on Thursday telling them organisers were "working with the venue to secure a new date" - hoped to be early autumn.
Read BusinessLive's roundup of the big business events cancelled across the country here.
Liverpool Council is one of those to have launched a dedicated - designed to be the first point of call for local residents wanting the latest official information and advice on the disease and its impact on the city.
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Most North West firms 'not ready for remote working'
With the government expected to soon advise people to work from if they can, a new study has revealed that over half of North West employees cannot do so.
A study by Flexioffices asked 2,000 海角视频 workers about the perks they receive, with those who work from home appearing to reap rewards.
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Nearly half - 44% - stated they enjoy working from home more, 37% said they were less stressed, and 25% said they are more productive.
The North West as a region was third in terms of how many workers said they could work from home, just behind the North East and Yorkshire - both 34%.
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Going off job adverts, a study carried out by RingCentral found that Manchester appears well prepared for remote working, with 5,880 jobs listed on Indeed.com offered the benefit at the time of writing - the third highest on the list.
Liverpool was down in 12th, with just 425 ads offering the perk.
What have employers done so far?
Leading chemical firm INEOS, whose sites include Northwich, is enacting a series of "social distancing" measures in order to protect its employees who play a vital role in the production of essential products.
The measures are to ensure the continued operation of plants and businesses through the coming weeks and months.
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Those measures include all office-based staff working from home unless in "exceptional circumstances", and employees maintaining a "1m rule".
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS Chairman said: “Our immediate priorities are to keep our people safe and to keep our plants and businesses running.”
Telephone conferencing also appears to be on the rise as people take the government's advice of working from home.
海角视频-based provider WHYPAY?, used by the NHS and various 海角视频 firms, has this week seen a 120% increase in registrations compared with the previous week.
Birkenhead-based CPL Learning has launched a free e-learning course for hospitality leaders called 'Coronavirus - Taking Proactive Action'.
It's been developed in collaboration with David Edwards, SpeakEzi, a member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, and is for the hospitality industry, designed to support businesses in making preparations and contingencies to deal with the outbreak.
It's believed that many firms across the North West are advising employees who can work from home to do so.
Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, has also spoken out about the current situation, reassuring firms that "our sector is very resilient".
Mr Lord said: “The safety of the public is our highest priority and I am continuing to monitor the Government’s advice regarding Coronavirus. I have spoken to the Mayor and whilst people should heed official Government advice and take the necessary precautions we also want people to continue to enjoy the night-time economy.
"I understand the concern that many businesses and employees will have at this time and I am working closely with the GMCA on our response.
"I want to reassure all businesses that our sector is very resilient and I have no doubt that if the right support measures are put in place by Government we can recover quickly.
"I also want to call on our sector to come together and play its part in helping to stop the spread.
"We all have a duty to protect ourselves and others and I urge all businesses at this time to ensure there are enough facilities available for customers and staff to wash their hands easily and often.
"I also urge venues to open doors and extend these facilities to passers-by, advertising hand washing facilities where possible.
"Lastly, I want to thank all NHS staff working tirelessly around the clock to care for those affected.
"I will be keeping informed of the situation and will provide further updates in due course.”
Which firms have reported cases of coronavirus so far?
Aside from sports clubs and instances of the virus, not many firms have so far reported cases among their staff.
But this morning, an MBNA employee was confirmed to have contracted it.
MBNA Bank confirmed an employee at its Chester Business Park tested positive for Covid-19.
An MBNA spokesperson said: “Parts of our Cawley House building have been temporarily closed to allow for the appropriate areas of the site to be cleaned, after a colleague based there was diagnosed with Covid-19.
“Our priority is the wellbeing of the individual in question, as well as the colleagues and visitors to the building who they may have come into contact with. We’re closely monitoring the developing situation and continue to follow official guidelines.”
Others have closed or partially closed as a precaution.
What is the official government advice?
People suffering symptoms of coronavirus have been issued new advice on what to do.
The has confirmed that anyone displaying even mild symptoms of the must self-isolate.
Speaking at a press conference after today's COBRA meeting, said that the new advice comes into action from Friday morning.
The new advice now states that if you are suffering from a , high temperature or any of the other then you must isolate yourself for at least a week.
What should my business be doing?
Meanwhile, David Tew, dispute resolution specialist with Carlisle-based Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, said amid all the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak, business owners may feel their fate isn’t in their own hand. He said there’s actually lots that they can do to help them take control.
He said: “These are uncertain times. No-one knows exactly how this is going to play out. But there are certain things you can do to protect your business.
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“A bit like the advice across society about taking sensible steps such as washing your hands, there are steps you can take as a business to protect yourself."
Mr Tew issued six pieces of advice aimed at helping businesses be prepared - and to focus on "what you can control".
They were:
1. Check your ongoing contracts
He said: “Check your contracts. What are your obligations and your rights?
“Will coronavirus allow a contracting party to pull out of its obligations on an existing contract? It depends very much on what is the exact wording in the contract."
2. Check your insurance policies
“Have a close look at your business insurance policy to see if you have any business interruption coverage and check exactly what those terms are.”
3. Carry out a risk assessment
“Carry out a general risk assessment on all parts of your business to identify exactly what is at risk, and then focus on controlling those areas which are within your control.”
4. Take practical steps
“If you want to move to more remote working, then check the practical issues that will involve. Do the business processes and procedures work remotely? Check employee policies - do they cover working from home? Is it practical for all employees to work from home? Do they have a safe environment to work in?
“Review your supply chain. Have a discussion with those in your supply chain and discuss action plans with them.”
5. Keep communicating
“It is really important to keep communication channels open between you, your employees, your clients and your supply chain. Keep talking and discussing how you can support each other.
“Identify ways you can work together. There will be cases where because of the way a contract has been worded, it is within your legal right to ensure that those obligations are met. But that might not be the best approach when it comes to long-term business relationships.
6. Ensure you have good legal advice
“A good solicitor will help you with your concerns and give you the advice on how you can best protect your business. We have a six-strong team in dispute resolution at Cartmell Shepherd led by director Mark Aspin. If you are unsure about anything it is always best to ask.”