National Lockdown begins tomorrow 00:01
Following the government's announcement on Saturday 31st October, certain businesses and venues will be ordered to close.
These include:
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Non-essential retail - such as clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms (other than for rental), betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, and market stalls selling non-essential goods. These venues can continue to be able to operate click-and-collect (where goods are pre-ordered and collected off the premises) and delivery services;
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Hospitality venues - such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs; with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway (before 10pm; and not including alcohol), click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery;
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Accommodation - such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites. Except for specific circumstances, such as where these act as someone’s main residence, where they cannot return home, for homeless people, or where it is essential to stay there for work purposes;
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Leisure and sports facilities - such as leisure centres and gyms, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, golf courses, fitness and dance studios, climbing walls, archery, driving, and shooting ranges;
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Entertainment venues - such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, go-karting venues, soft play centres and areas, circuses, funfairs, zoos and other animal attractions, water parks, theme parks. Indoor attractions at botanical gardens, heritage homes and landmarks must also close, though outdoor grounds of these premises can stay open;
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Personal care facilities - such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons. Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must also close. It is also prohibited to provide these services in other peoples’ homes;
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Community centres and halls - must close except for a limited number of exempt activities. Libraries can also remain open to provide access to IT and digital services - for example for people who do not have it at home - and for click-and-collect;
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Places of worship - apart from for the purposes of independent prayer, and service broadcasting and funerals.
Where is the Full list of restrictions?
The full list of mandatory business and venue closures, as well as restrictions to trade, are taken from those published most current, from the government's website and will be set out in law later today.
The government page will be linked on our 'Open for Business' webpage and communicated via other channels, such as another Email Me bulletin (like this), as well as the Council's social media accounts.
This is incase there are any further last minute changes to those details.
When do these changes take affect?
These recently announced restrictions above are to come into effect from 00:01 on Thursday 5th November 2020.
Does my business have to close?
The most current details of the businesses that are defined as non-essential retail, as well as the other venues that must close, can be found by clicking the 'non-essential retail' link directly below. Please note, until a vote has taken place in parliament, this guidance is subject to change.
Can my business operate as a takeaway or provide 'click and collect'?
Many hospitality and non-essential retailers may be able to implement a system where customers can pre-order items via a telephone, text, email or online order. These businesses can also opt to carry out deliveries directly to customers homes.
Click and collect/takeaway
Where a click and collect/takeaway system is created, a business must stop customers fully entering premises. The set up of a collection point near to the door way is advised. Businesses will also need to manage a queue system outside there premises, where it is possible for customers to maintain a safe distance if they have to wait outside and so that other pedestrians can pass. Dedicated delivery slots should be utilised to stop different customers coming into contact. Cash transactions should be avoided, instead the pre-payment of items should be secured before any collection.
Delivery
Where delivery's take place, cash transactions should be avoided and contactless deliveries take place - ie. knock on door or call to announce arrival, place items in a suitable place like a doorstep, step away and maintain minimum 2m social distance, check delivery is collected by customer. Items should not be directly handed to customers.
What does this mean for shoppers and residents?
You can see full details of the upcoming national restrictions which will apply, by clicking 'National Restrictions' below.
My business is permitted to stay open, what guidance should I follow?
By Law, all businesses in Broxtowe must follow the latest government guidance on remaining "COVID-19 secure" for their respective businesses type/setting.
Those essential businesses remaining open 5th November until 2nd December must ensure they continue to operate COVID-securley.
The COVID-19 secure guidance packs were updated with 'Priority Actions' that businesses must read and implement accordingly.
The guidance from government for the various business types/settings can be found on the 'Open for Business' webpage of our website.
When is my businesses permitted to re-open after lockdown and how do I prepare?
- The national lockdown restrictions to come into force shortly, are scheduled to end on 2nd December 2020.
- It is understood that Broxtowe, as well as other areas will revert back to the 'Tier system' and as such will be re-categorised with a COVID-Alert Level after national lockdown has ended.
- The Alert Level or 'tier', will be based on the latest data available and other metrics used by government, closer to the 2nd December.
- It is unclear whether Broxtowe will be subject to the same (tier 3 - Very High as currently) or a lesser alert level by the 2nd December.
- The categorisation of Broxtowe will be communicated as soon as the information is available, in anticipation of the lifting of the national lockdown, so that different businesses and venues, may further prepare to re-open or remain closed.
ALL businesses will still be required by law to follow the latest guidance from government, including any locally imposed or Baseline restrictions to trading from 2nd December.
I'm still unsure what I have to do as a business
If you are still unsure what this means for you and your business, contact COVID Information Officers Zahid (if your business is located in Beeston) and Janice (if your business is in Eastwood, Kimberley or Stapleford) as soon as possible.
Zahid.Javed@broxtowe.gov.uk - For Beeston businesses
Janice.Owen@broxtowe.gov.uk - For Eastwood, Kimberley and Stapleford businesses
For all market enquiries, please contact: Markets Officer Clair Storey by emailing: clair.storey@broxtowe.gov.uk
Preparing your business for temporary closure
Where certain businesses are mandated to close from Thursday due to national lockdown, but are opting not to continue operating as a 'Click and Collect' or takeaway service, our Environmental Health team have provided '4 Top Tips' to help those businesses, when preparing their premises for a 28 hibernation period.
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Ensure any food which will expire during the closed period is removed from the premises or disposed of.
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Check refrigerators and freezers are operating effectively.
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Rubbish should be in lidded containers with external areas left secure and tidy.
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Ensure if you have security alarms, that the Council have contact details and that they are maintained and have the required cut off if activated.
Grants for businesses in tier 2, 3 and national lockdown periods
Further details will be provided in due course.
Details provided will include any discretionary grant schemes and other nationally announced financial support packages for businesses and other venues, which were/will be forced to close because of local tier 2,3 and national lockdown restrictions.
Please read our statement on the upcoming financial support packages for businesses that have been affected by recent local and imminent national restrictions.
Links and further information on the respective application processes will be detailed on the 'Support for Business' webpage.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Furlough) extended until December
Following the announcement of an imminent national lockdown, the decision has been taken to extend the furlough scheme until December 2020.
Read the government's latest announcement further detailing the decision to postpone the cancellation of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Furlough) by clicking 'Furlough' directly below.
Check if you can claim for employee wages via the extended scheme, use the payment claim calculator and access the PAYE portal, by clicking the 'Claim Furlough' below.
The D2N2 LEP have created a dedicated support page where businesses can find further information about the other financial support available, including business loans.
Find out more on about this on the D2N2 website.
Self-employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS)
Following the extension the the Furlough scheme, there will also be additional support for those who are self-employed.
Self-employed workers will now be able to claim 80% of trading profits for November.
This drops down to 40% for the December and January '21 periods as originally announced. As a result of this increased claim percentage covering November, the grant which will cover a three month period, will effectively equate to 55% of trading profits for November to January '21.
Any agreed grant payment covering the three month period will be capped at £5,160, will be paid in a single installment and is taxable.
There are plans to pay a final support grant, covering the period 1st February to 30th April 2021. The government will review the level of the final grant amount and set out further details in due course.
To read about the revised SEISS scheme, click the 'SEISS' link below.
Hands Face Space
We cannot stress enough how important it is to keep going with Hands, Face, Space, every day. 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).
If you or any of your staff have symptoms of COVID-19 – high temperature, continuous cough or loss of taste or smell – they must self-isolate immediately and book a test online or by calling 119. The person with symptoms must not leave home unless they are going to have a test. Whilst waiting for their results, even if your symptoms improve, they must stay at home until a negative result is received.
If a positive result is received, the person may be contacted by NHS Test and Trace or someone who works for local council. They will be asked for information about where they've been recently and who they've been in close contact with.
This will help the NHS contact anyone who may also have caught the virus. You'll be contacted by email, text or phone. Text messages will come from NHStracing. Calls will come from 0300 013 5000 or 0300 123 7790.
Mandatory face coverings
It is still mandatory for all those inside retail shops (including supermarkets) and hospitality premises to wear a face covering.
As hospitality businesses will now be closed to customers entering and consuming on premises; where a customer is collecting a pre-order for takeaway, they must still wear a face covering when collecting goods.
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 will still apply where a businesses is operating as a click and collect store/deliveries only.
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.
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