Fears have been expressed as to the wellbeing of Monmouth’s high street in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Monmouth businesses have had to take on several challenges in recent years, with the outbreak of Covid-19 only being the latest.

Chair of Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, Sherren McCabe-Finlayson told the Beacon: "The last few months have not been good for local businesses. First came the uncertainty of Brexit and, for some retailers, concerns about continuity in their supply chain - such as fresh flowers and perishable commodities. Next, the floods had an impact on footfall with people simply unable to access the town."

Ms McCabe-Finlayson explained that the effect of self-isolation as a response to the coronavirus could seriously impact footfall in the town.

"The Chamber of Commerce has, been running a campaign to encourage ’shopping local’," she added. "Now more than ever it is essential to maintain that support, especially to independent shopkeepers and small businesses.

"Without regular income they cannot meet their overheads - rents, rates and wages - and, in many cases, pay themselves. The longer the pandemic lasts, the harder it will become."

She added: "As the nation has gone mad with its panic buying, these small businesses have tried to provide ’service as normal’ and their shelves have remained full where frequently the supermarkets’ have emptied. On behalf of our membership, the chamber is asking readers to buy sensibly and locally so that Monmouth can survive the present crisis and continue to provide the same familiar and reliable amenity when life returns to normality."

The Welsh assembly’s minister for the economy, Ken Skates said: "There will be many companies in Wales dealing with the fallout of this virus. This crisis will have a significant impact on the way our economy works over the coming days, weeks and months."