Business COVID-19 Updates

NEW Tier 3 (Very High Alert) COVID-19 Restrictions from 00:01 Friday 30th October

What this means for businesses in Broxtowe

Meeting people at a business

• People must not meet with anyone outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting. Businesses must ensure bookings of more than one person consist of people all from the same household or support bubble.
• People must not meet with people outside of their household or support bubble, in a private garden, or in most outdoor public venues or hospitality settings.  Businesses are therefore advised to continue operating on a 'booking only' basis.

Travelling 

• You can continue to travel into or out of very high alert level areas if you need to for work, education, to access youth services or because of caring responsibilities.

• Businesses are urged to encourage staff to adapt their travel plans to cycle or walk where possible. 

Further restrictions to hospitality

• All hospitality venues (café, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs) can only remain open to offer substantial meals, OR must move to operate a delivery and takeaway service only.
• Alcohol can only be served with a substantial meal. 
• People will not be able to sit in a café or restaurant just to drink coffee or eat a snack. 
• Premises serving alcohol must take orders and serve food and drink to customers that are seated.
• Premises that do not serve alcoholic beverages, can take orders at the counter, but customers must be seated to eat or drink.
• The use of shared smoking equipment (such as but not limited to shisha) in hospitality venues will be prohibited.
• Alcohol sales must be prohibited after 9pm where alcohol is purchased to consume off premises, for example shops. Alcohol can continue to be purchased in hospitality venues where accompanying a substantial meal, up until 10pm. All hospitality venues continue to fully close at 10pm.
• Wedding receptions will not be permitted, but people can get married with a maximum of 15 people at the ceremony. Businesses must not hold wedding receptions during this period.

Other mandated closures and restrictions in Broxtowe

• Betting shops, car boot sales and auction houses (with the exception of Livestock and agricultural equipment sales) must close.
• Indoor entertainment and tourism venues must close, except for ice-skating rinks, cinemas, concert halls, and theatres. Hotels and other accommodation can stay open.
• Outdoor entertainment and tourism venues can remain open, with the exception of their indoor attractions (such as animal attractions or landmarks).
• Leisure and sporting facilities (such as leisure centres, gyms, fitness and dance studios, swimming pools and sports courts) can remain open. It is strongly advised that indoor group exercise classes (including dance and fitness classes) should not take place.
• Saunas and steam rooms must close.
• Public buildings such as town and parish halls, community centres and libraries can remain open to run activities such as childcare and support groups. Public buildings should not host events for private hire, such as birthday parties or other social activities.

Personal Care and Close Contact Services

• Personal care settings such as tattoo parlours, tanning and nail salons, and piercing services must close.
• Hairdressers and barber salons can remain open but cannot perform services that are otherwise closed. It is advised that personal care services do not take place in private homes.
• Public buildings such as town and parish halls, community centres and libraries can remain open to run activities such as childcare and support groups. Public buildings should not host events for private hire, such as birthday parties or other social activities.

Restrictions in Broxtowe

Continuation of previous measures

Businesses must ensure that they continue to follow all the other guidance on trading securely, which includes 10pm closures and not selling alcohol after 9pm, as well as other measures for hospitality businesses, as well as mandatory face coverings for staff in retail and other settings.

And,

• Businesses and venues must continue to collect customer, visitor and staff data in line with government requirements relevant to the business
• Up to date guidance for the wearing of face coverings for customers and staff in certain indoor settings
• Businesses must ensure that if their workers are required to self-isolate, they do not work outside their designated place of self-isolation

We appreciate there is a lot of information to absorb. We are continuing to work through the guidance for these stricter/additional restrictions and will share more details, guidance and FAQs as soon as possible.

This information will be posted on the council websites.

Government and local partners will closely monitor the impact of these new restrictions, which will be in place for 28 days from Friday 30^th October and will be kept under review.

Increased financial support for businesses

We are working through the details of the support package and will share details shortly on our website and in these bulletins.

Hands Face Space

As well as the new restrictions, please continue to:

• wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
• wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will coming into contact with people you do not normally meet
• stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing a face covering, or increasing ventilation indoors).

People who have symptoms of COVID-19 – high temperature, continuous cough or loss of taste or smell – must self-isolate immediately and book a test online or by calling 119.

Mandatory face coverings

It is mandatory for all those inside retail shops (including supermarkets) and hospitality premises to wear a face covering, unless specifically sitting down to eat or drink.

The wearing of mandatory face coverings previously applied to the customers and visitors only within retail and hospitality settings, but now includes all the staff members by law. 

This now means customers need to keep their face covering on when entering a premises, not just to the entrance, but until they have actually been seated. If they are to then move around these premises for any reason, including when leaving, staff will need to ensure that face coverings are reapplied.

All staff members whether in a shop, or serving in pub or restaurant will need to wear face coverings at all times.

More info

Test and Trace

The number of people who have downloaded the NHS Test and Trace App is now in excess of 17 million people in England and Wales. In addition, there have been 660,00 QR posters created.

With the number of positive cases increasing, downloading the app is one of the best things you can do to help fight the virus.

Customers MUST provide full and accurate details when visiting a venue as part of the NHS Test and Trace service.

As a business or venue, you must ask all customers to provide contact details on arrival. QR posters should be displayed so customers can check in using the NHS COVID-19 app. If customers choose to check-in using the QR code, names and contact details are not needed, but you must take steps to ensure the customer has successfully scanned the venue QR code, by showing their phone screen to a staff member on arrival for example. The phone should display details of the venue if scanned correctly.

NHS Test and Trace is vital in helping us stop the spread of COVID-19 in Broxtowe, if you need support please contact your COVID Information Officer today. 

Council services during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Council is sharing regular updates about affected Council services at https://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/coronavirus

You can also get updates on our social media accounts.

For more information visit www.broxtowe.gov.uk/businesss
E:economic.development@broxtowe.gov.uk T: 0115 917 3826