With the Government announcing yesterday that the move to Step 4 of the roadmap will take place on Monday 19th July 2021, please find suggestions below for sector-specific actions to take within your business this week.
You can read the Government’s Moving to Step 4 of the Roadmap guidance document here and their COVID-19 Response: Summer 2021 guidance document here.
Please note that we have asked West Berkshire Council’s Public Protection Team for specific advice and guidance for local businesses. Please see my update here for their advice and enforcement strategy.
Once you have finalised your post-19th July plans, please let us know what they are. We will prepare and issue an overall press release to let the public know what to expect in Newbury town centre and what businesses will be doing to ensure their ongoing safety.
Contents
Retailers
- Review the updated Working Safely guidance for shops and branches.
- Carry out an updated health and safety risk assessment, including assessing the risk of COVID-19 to your staff, customers, and visitors.
- Use the Working Safely guidance to decide on the reasonable steps you need to take to mitigate the risks you identify. This might include asking employees and customers to continue to wear masks indoors and continuing to restrict numbers within your store so people can socially distance.
- Once you have identified and mitigated the risks, communicate with your staff and customers via social media, email, posters, and any other communication channels you have, so they will know what to expect when they visit you. Consider how your customers may be feeling and how you can reassure them that they will continue to be safe when they visit.
- Attend the next Newbury Shopsafe meeting if you are a paid member, which will give you the opportunity to share any concerns or ideas you have with other local retailers. Please email us if you haven’t received an invitation to this meeting.
Hospitality Venues
- Review the updated Working Safely guidance for restaurants, pubs, bars, nightclubs and takeaway services, or the Working Safely guidance for hotels and guest accommodation.
- Carry out an updated health and safety risk assessment, including assessing the risk of COVID-19 to your staff, customers, and visitors.
- Use the Working Safely guidance to decide on the reasonable steps you need to take to mitigate the risks you identify. This might include, for example, asking employees and customers to continue to wear face coverings indoors and continuing to restrict numbers within your venue so people can socially distance.
- Decide whether you will continue to provide table service within your venue (this will no longer be a legal requirement).
- Decide whether you will continue to display QR codes for customers wishing to check in using the NHS COVID-19 app, or continue to collect customer contact details to support NHS Test and Trace (this will no longer be a legal requirement but is encouraged by the Government).
- If you are a higher risk setting, such as a nightclub or somewhere which operates events with large crowds, decide whether you will use the NHS COVID Pass as a condition of entry (this will not be a legal requirement, but please note that if sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the Government will consider mandating the NHS COVID Pass in certain venues
at a later date). - Once you have decided which safety measures you will use (ideally involving your employees in this decision), communicate these measures to your customers via social media, email, posters, and any other communication channels you have, so your customers will know what to expect when they visit you. Consider how your customers may be feeling and how you can reassure them that they will be safe when they visit.
Leisure Venues
- Review the updated Working Safely guidance for events and attractions.
- Carry out an updated health and safety risk assessment, including assessing the risk of COVID-19 to your staff, customers, and visitors.
- Use the Working Safely guidance to decide on the reasonable steps you need to take to mitigate the risks you identify. This might include, for example, asking employees and customers to continue to wear face coverings indoors and continuing to restrict numbers within your venue so people can socially distance.
- Decide whether you will continue to display QR codes for customers wishing to check in using the NHS COVID-19 app, or continue to collect customer contact details to support NHS Test and Trace (this will no longer be a legal requirement but is encouraged by the Government).
- If you are a higher risk setting, such as somewhere which operates events with large crowds, decide whether you will use the NHS COVID Pass as a condition of entry (this will not be a legal requirement, but please note that if sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the Government will consider mandating the NHS COVID Pass in certain venues
at a later date). - Once you have decided which safety measures you will use (ideally involving your employees in this decision), communicate these measures to your customers via social media, email, posters, and any other communication channels you have, so your customers will know what to expect when they visit you. Consider how your customers may be feeling and how you can reassure them that they will be safe when they visit.
Close Contact Services
- Review the updated Working Safely guidance for close contact services.
- Carry out an updated health and safety risk assessment, including assessing the risk of COVID-19 to your staff, customers, and visitors.
- Use the Working Safely guidance to decide on the reasonable steps you need to take to mitigate the risks you identify. This might include, for example, asking employees and customers to continue to wear face coverings indoors and continuing to restrict numbers within your setting so people can socially distance.
- Decide whether you will continue to display QR codes for customers wishing to check in using the NHS COVID-19 app, or continue to collect customer contact details to support NHS Test and Trace (this will no longer be a legal requirement but is encouraged by the Government).
- Once you have decided which safety measures you will use (ideally involving your employees in this decision), communicate these measures to your customers via social media, email, posters, and any other communication channels you have, so your customers will know what to expect when they visit you. Consider how your customers may be feeling and how you can reassure them that they will be safe when they visit.
Office-Based Businesses & Contact Centres
- Review the updated Working Safely guidance for offices, factories and labs.
- Carry out an updated health and safety risk assessment, including assessing the risk of COVID-19 to your staff, customers, and visitors.
- Use the Working Safely guidance to decide on the reasonable steps you need to take to mitigate the risks you identify. This might include, for example, asking employees and visitors to continue to wear face coverings in communal areas, continuing to restrict numbers within your office so people can socially distance, and ensuring adequate fresh air and ventilation.
- Decide whether you need to make any changes to your return to the office plan (whilst the Government is no longer instructing people to work from home if they can from 19th July, the Government has stated that it would expect and recommend a gradual return over the summer).
- Once you have identified and mitigated the risks, communicate with your staff (and customers where relevant) via social media, email, posters, and any other communication channels you have, so they will know what to expect when they come to work or visit you. Consider how your employees and customers may be feeling and how you can reassure them that they will be safe in the office.
If you need specific, tailored advice or guidance for your business, please contact West Berkshire Council’s Public Protection Partnership directly. You can find their contact details on their website here.
