COVID 19 lockdown update

Even if restrictions are lifted in early April, it will not mean that life will come back to normal – unless it is a ‘new normal’. COVID-19 and its threat will be with us until either a successful mass vaccination programme is instigated, or social herd immunity is acquired naturally (i.e. most of us contracting COVID-19 and gaining some immunity). There will be some travel restrictions from current hotspots of the pandemic. Tourists may be hesitant to travel abroad or use planes for many months to come. The virus may flare up again, as it did in Hong Kong. It creates lot of uncertainty for businesses reliant on international tourists.

If the epidemic persists in Scotland until July, The Edinburgh Fridge may well be cancelled (or ‘rolled over’ to 2021). Holiday lets are a seasonal business: most income is made between June and September. Even if all restrictions are lifted, we can safely assume that Edinburgh will attract less tourists in Summer 2020, than in 2019.