NEWS that a planned holiday-at-home voucher scheme has been abandoned will undoubtedly be another disappointment to hospitality businesses as they deal with cancelled Christmas bookings amid the latest Covid concerns.
The initiative would have seen households able to claim up to £100 off the cost of a two-night stay in Northern Ireland, as well as subsidised visits to tourist attractions.
It aimed to provide a stimulus for a sector which has been starved of international visitors for much of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, it has emerged that officials in the Department for the Economy were unable to confirm it would offer value for money and when DUP minister Gordon Lyons put his case to the executive, he failed to secure support.
The cost of the scheme was a fraction of the budget set aside to provide more than a million £100 high street vouchers for every adult in Northern Ireland.
But it would be open to the same questions about whether it is an appropriate use of scarce funds at a time when many families are struggling to heat homes and put food on the table, not to mention uncertainty about the impact of the Omicron variant.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed yesterday that there is community transmission across multiple regions in England and it is clear that spread in Northern Ireland is inevitable.
Exactly how infectious this variant proves to be, and how well existing vaccines counter it, are questions occupying the minds of public health experts and politicians around the world.
What is clear is that Northern Ireland and its overstretched health service can ill afford to take risks given that Covid rates in the region are already at a record high.
The number of confirmed cases per 100,000 people in the last seven-day period was 680, surpassing the previous mark set in January.
It is also significantly higher than in England, Scotland and Wales and in the Newry, Mourne and Down council area it is 870.
Hospital admissions have thankfully dropped in the past week, but Covid continues to place intolerable strain on staffing levels and force resources to be diverted from other areas.
New testing requirements will apply to international arrivals from today as part of efforts to limit the spread of Omicron, while Covid certification is now mandatory for entry to many hospitality venues.
If those measures and a renewed appeal to wear masks, sanitise and socially distance do not prove effective, further restrictions affecting more parts of the economy and society will be unavoidable.
