Coronavirus: Tourism Industry Update
Please follow the news reports and for latest advice regularly visit the Public Health Wales website and the Business Wales website
BULLETIN CONTENTS - Local coronavirus restrictions introduced to control outbreaks in South Wales; The above adds to the local coronavirus restrictions already in place in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport; Review of local restrictions in Caerphilly borough; Local lockdowns – frequently asked questions; New measures introduced for hospitality businesses - questions and answers; UK Chancellor outlines Winter Economy Plan; NHS COVID-19 app launched across Wales and England; Keeping records of staff, customers, and visitors: Test, Trace, Protect; Visitors from areas with higher incidence of coronavirus; Reminder and guidance: Constraints on meeting socially and compulsory face coverings; Welsh Government further extends measures to protect businesses impacted by coronavirus from eviction until end of year; CJRS changes from October; Minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus in workplaces and premises open to the public; Health and Safety Executive COVID-19 updates for your business / Work-related stress, worker wellbeing and mental health; Other useful COVID-19 Guidance links, downloadable assets and toolkits for your business.
Local coronavirus restrictions introduced to control outbreaks in South Wales
Coronavirus laws are being tightened across South Wales this weekend, including in the capital city, in response to a growing spread of cases, Health Minister Vaughan Gething has confirmed.
Local restrictions will come into force in Llanelli from 6pm on Saturday – the first time restrictions have been introduced on a more localised basis – and in Swansea and Cardiff from 6pm on Sunday.
Ministers will also meet public health experts, local authority leaders and others over the weekend to consider whether local restrictions need to be extended to Neath Port Talbot, the Vale of Glamorgan and Torfaen on Sunday evening.
The restrictions, which will apply to everyone living in Llanelli, Cardiff and Swansea are:
- People will not be allowed to enter or leave these areas without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education;
- People will only be able to meet people they don’t live with outdoors for the time being. They will not be able to form, or be in, extended households (sometimes known as ‘bubbles’). This means meeting indoors (in people’s houses, in a pub or elsewhere) with anyone you don’t live with is not allowed at the moment unless you have a good reason, such as providing care to a vulnerable person.
- All licensed premises have to stop serving alcohol at 10pm.
- Everyone over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in indoor places, which are open to the public, such as shops, as well as on public transport – as is the case in the rest of Wales. (There are some limited exemptions for people with disabilities and medical conditions – these are the same as for public transport).
In Carmarthenshire, action is being taken on a more localised basis because more than eight out of 10 cases are focused on the town of Llanelli. The town’s ward boundaries will be used to define the limits of the restrictions.
A postcode checker will be available on the Welsh Government’s website together with full details about the restrictions.
The new local restrictions measures will be kept under regular review. They will be enforced by local authorities and by the police.
The Welsh Government is continuing to keep a close watch on the situation in North Wales where the picture is mixed – cases overall are much lower than in South Wales, but there is evidence coronavirus is increasing in some parts of the region.
Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
The above adds to the local coronavirus restrictions already in place in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport
Coronavirus laws are being tightened in four more Welsh authorities – Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport – following a sharp rise in cases. The new measures came into force at 6pm on Tuesday 22 September 2020, to protect people’s health and control the spread of the virus in the four local authority areas.
The new restrictions will apply to everyone living in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport. The new local restrictions measures will be kept under regular review. They will be enforced by local authorities and by the police. Read the announcement in full on Gov.Wales.
Review of local restrictions in Caerphilly borough
The local lockdown restrictions introduced on 8 September to control the Caerphilly County outbreak were reviewed by Welsh Ministers on 24 September. Cases of coronavirus have declined steadily since the restrictions were introduced two weeks ago and compliance with the restrictions has been very high. However, as rates of infection remain high in the borough it has been decided to leave the restrictions in place for at least a further seven days. People living in Caerphilly borough are encouraged to continue following these rules. The local restrictions measures will be kept under regular review.
Read the Written Statement in full on Gov.Wales.
Local lockdowns – frequently asked questions
Please see the FAQs on local lockdowns – they include queries that will be particularly applicable to visitors and accommodation operators eg:
I am not a resident of the [local health protection] area but I am currently in the area – do I now need to leave urgently?
- If you do not have a good reason (a “reasonable excuse”) to stay in the area, you should leave as soon as practicable.
- If you do have a reasonable excuse to stay, then while you are in the [local health protection] area, you should follow the local restrictions in place and limit your interactions with others as much as possible.
- Once you have left the area, please be cautious about interacting with other people and be aware of any potential symptoms of coronavirus.
New measures introduced for hospitality businesses - questions and answers
All licensed premises in Wales are no longer allowed to serve alcohol after 10pm, and must close by 10.20pm. Licensed premises now have to provide table service only. Off-licences, including supermarkets and convenience stores, also have to stop selling alcohol at 10pm. Online deliveries made by supermarkets and take-away delivery services will be permitted after 10pm but must not include alcohol.
The new measures are part of a package of co-ordinated actions to control the spread of coronavirus, which are being introduced across the UK and came into force in Wales at 6pm on 23 September and a detailed list of frequently asked questions is available.
You can read the measures announced by the First Minister in our News Bulletin. Further details on the restrictions were outlined at the First Minister’s press conference on 23 September – view the press conference online here.
UK Chancellor outlines Winter Economy Plan
The UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined additional government support to provide certainty to businesses and workers impacted by coronavirus across the UK, announcing:
- tax cuts and deferrals
- flexibility for businesses to pay back loans
- a new job support scheme
For further details please visit the GOV.UK website.
Take a look at the Business Wales COVID-19 support for business pages to find out what advice and support is available to businesses in Wales.
People across Wales and England are being urged to download the NHS COVID-19 app to help stop the spread of coronavirus and protect themselves and their loved ones as case numbers rise. The app launched Thursday 24 October after positive trials and will be a useful tool when used alongside Wales’ successful manual contact tracing system. Read the full announcement on Gov.Wales.
A range of campaign materials are available for you to download and share with your network and on your communication channels.
Find out more information about the app and download the unique QR code for your business.
Keeping records of staff, customers, and visitors: Test, Trace, Protect (TTP)
The new NHS COVID-19 App (mentioned above) will not provide an alternative for hospitality businesses and other high-risk settings for keeping records of staff, customers and visitors to assist with TTP, in case of an outbreak. This means that in Wales it will still remain a legal requirement for pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants to collect and retain contact information of staff, visitors and customers for 21 days, regardless of whether they are displaying an official QR code poster associated with the new NHS COVID-19 App. Whilst businesses will be encouraged to display the QR code poster, the App does not cover the requirement associated with this guidance, so details will still need to be collected as they are now.
Although tourism businesses are not included in this compulsory guidance, accommodation operators are reminded of the importance of continuing to collect customer details at the point of booking, and to support the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect service with this information if required.
Guidance on Keeping records of staff, customers, and visitors: test, trace, protect is available at Gov.Wales.
Visitors from areas with higher incidence of coronavirus
There is Welsh Government guidance available on taking all reasonable measures to minimise risk to exposure of Coronavirus and this includes detail relating to visitors to accommodation and other businesses.
Reminder and guidance: Constraints on meeting socially and compulsory face coverings
Face coverings became mandatory in indoor public places across Wales from Monday 14 September as rules are tightened to prevent a fresh coronavirus crisis. Updated guidance has been published:
Businesses should comply with the rule of six from an extended household regardless of whether the booking is being made by guests from outside of Wales where different rules may apply.
Businesses with headquarters based outside of Wales still need to comply with Welsh Regulations for any part of their business operating in Wales.
Welsh Government further extends measures to protect businesses impacted by coronavirus from eviction until end of year
The Welsh Government is further extending measures to protect businesses affected by coronavirus from eviction until the end of 2020, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ken Skates has announced.
As part of action to support the business community amid continuing hardship due to COVID-19 the moratorium against forfeiture for the non-payment of rent, which was due to end on 30 September, will now run up to and include 31 December, 2020.
Rent due should continue to be paid whenever possible, but the latest measure will ensure no business is forced out of its premises if it misses a payment between now and the end of the 2020. This will also ease the burden on retailers at a time of immense challenge for the sector, including the winding down of the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme. You can read the full press release at Gov.Wales.
CJRS changes from October
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) changes from 1 October 2020 and will close on 31 October 2020. Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus in workplaces and premises open to the public
The Welsh Government has produced guidance to help employers and businesses minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus in workplaces. For further information please visit the Business Wales website.
Health and Safety Executive
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COVID-19 updates for your business - The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a range of coronavirus-related guidance and information, which your business may find useful. Read more on the Business Wales website.
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Work-related stress, worker wellbeing and mental health - The HSE also has resources to help employers support staff with work-related stress and mental health conditions. Planning, training and support can all reduce pressure and bring stress levels down. Visit the Business Wales website for more details.
Other useful COVID-19 Guidance links, downloadable assets and toolkits for your business
We realise that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with what is available – the links below will help you find what practical resources and toolkits are there to help you.
Stay up to date with tourism industry news
We are committed to providing the support and assurance the business community needs during these unprecedented difficult times and have issued several Coronavirus (COVID-19) related bulletins which can be found on the Tourism Industry Coronavirus (COVID-19) Bulletins page.
Business Wales is providing businesses with tailored support and advice about dealing with coronavirus, from financial and supply chain planning to advice on staffing issues. We would advise Tourism businesses and stakeholders in Wales wanting specific guidance to visit the Business Wales website or call Business Wales helpline on 03000 6 03000, and to regularly visit the Public Health Wales website for up-to-date public health information for you, your staff and your visitors.
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