|
As we go ahead with step 4 of the Government's Roadmap on 19 July, almost all legal restrictions on social contact will be lifted.
- There are no limits on how many people can meet or attend events, weddings, funerals or shows
- Social distancing and masks are no longer a legal requirement
- Nightclubs can reopen
- Hospitality is no longer table-service only
Employers
It remains the responsibility of employers to protect your staff. Free lateral flow testing kits are available to anyone until September, so you should encourage staff to visit our community collection points.
Employers should also encourage staff to get vaccinated, which remains the most important tool in our fight against the virus. There are a number of vaccination centres across West Berkshire, and you can book an appointment or read more about the vaccines on this page.
The Government have produced an employer toolkit which can be used to run an internal awareness campaign to ensure your employees have reliable information about the vaccine. Download the employer toolkit here.
For detailed, industry-specific guidance on how to work safely and manage the risks of Covid-19, visit the Government's working safely webpage.
Masks
As it is now the choice of each businesses whether masks should be worn inside, we would encourage you to make this decision based on what you think is best for your staff and customers, considering the risk of your setting.
If you want to maintain a requirement for masks in your business then this should be posted clearly in a place that is easy for everyone to see. All other Covid-19 signage, including Step 3 guidance, should be removed.
Test & Trace
It is no longer a legal requirement for venues to display the NHS Test & Trace QR code, however we strongly encourage you to continue to display it. Venues will not need to close if an alert is triggered.
If you have specific questions or concerns, our Public Protection Partnership will continue to monitor their Covid-19 inbox: PPP Covid-19 enquiries.
The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is a grant scheme administered at the discretion of Local Authorities to support businesses that have been impacted by Coronavirus restrictions but are not able to access other forms of support.
West Berkshire Council have supported over 350 local businesses and distributed £4,869,154 through the scheme so far.
From 31 July 2021 we will be closing off the current scheme for new applications, in order to introduce a new policy from 6 September onwards. This means there will be a 5 week pause between policies. However during that time we will still be offering support to businesses suffering severe hardship.
All applications for grants under the current ARG policy must be submitted by 31 July 2021.
Read more about the Additional Restrictions Grant
Berkshire Opportunities, part of the Thames Valley LEP, are hosting a Future Skills Summit from 2pm - 4pm on Tuesday 20 July.
The event is free to attend and will be online. There will be a panel of speakers including CEOs, business leaders and education experts discussing the future priorities for investment in employment and skills in Berkshire, and shining a spotlight on initiatives that will maintain the competitiveness of Berkshire’s economy, raise productivity and improve wellbeing.
Everyone is invited to attend, from businesses, to career leaders, to those with an interest.
Register for the Future Skills Summit here
 The public survey on the new Vision for Newbury Town Centre has been extended until 30 July, in order to get as many views as possible.
The survey takes 7 minutes and is an opportunity for you to help shape the direction of the future of the town centre. Please take the time to have your say and pass it on to as many people as you can.
Take the 7 minute survey on the new draft Vision
And finally...
Thank you for subscribing to West Berkshire Council Business News. To receive other newsletters from us direct to your inbox, please update your subscriber preferences.
Thanks for reading! The West Berkshire Business Newsletter will be back with regular bulletins.
For more frequent updates from the Economic Development team, follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
 
|
