1) Test & Trace guidance: Maintaining records of staff, customers & visitors
The easing of social and economic lockdown measures following the COVID-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. Organisations in certain sectors should assist this service by keeping a temporary record of customers and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your organisation, and assists NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks.
Sectors that this guidance applies to:
- Hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés;
- Tourism and leisure, including hotels, museums, cinemas, zoos and theme parks;
- Close contact services, including hairdressers, barbershops and tailors;
- Facilities provided by local authorities, including town halls and civic centres for events, community centres, libraries and children’s centres; and
- Places of worship, including use for events and other community activities.
Full guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/CV19BusinessTT.
2) Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services reopening safely
From Saturday 4th July, most of the pubs and restaurants we love will be reopening. We have shared the following tweet, which explains how pubs and restaurants will keep customers and staff safe. We would appreciate you retweeting on your own channels where possible: https://twitter.com/HMGLondonSE/status/1278999977637879809
Hospitality safer working guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/HospitalityGuidance.
3) Self-isolation lifted for lower risk countries
Passengers returning or visiting from certain destinations, which pose a reduced risk to the public health of UK citizens, including Spain and Italy, will no longer need to self-isolate when arriving in England, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will set out today (3 July 2020).
Passengers returning to or visiting England from certain destinations including Germany, France, Spain and Italy, will no longer need to self-isolate on arrival from 10 July 2020. The FCO will set out exemptions for a number of destinations from its global advisory against ‘all but essential’ international travel, with changes coming into effect on 4 July 2020. In addition, all passengers, except those on a small list of exemptions, will still be required to provide contact information on arrival in the UK.
The full news story can be found here – https://bit.ly/SelfIsolationChanges – and further guidance will follow.
4) Employee return-to-work tool
The government has developed a tool to help employees in England easily assess if they can return to work. The tool guides employees through questions that may influence their ability to go back to work safely. Employers can share this tool with employees to aid discussion on how employees can return to work safely.
Please find out more here: https://bit.ly/EmployeeTool.
As ever, please do share these trackable links through your network and if you have any questions, please email our dedicated business enquiries mailbox (covid19-partnerships@cabinetoffice.gov.uk).
