From Monday 17 May, England will see an ease of lockdown restrictions as the country enters Step 3 of the four-step roadmap.

From Step 3, England will see:

  • Pubs, restaurants, and other hospitality venues will be allowed to open indoors (venues will still be table service only)
  • Indoor entertainment and attractions including cinemas, bowling alleys, theatres and bingo halls will reopen
  • Organised indoor adult sport, such as badminton and indoor tennis, will resume
  • Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes
  • Some large events will resume:
    • Indoor events will have a capacity of 1,000 or 50% – whichever is smaller
    • Outdoor events will be capped at 4,000 or 50% capacity and outdoor seated events – such as football matches at 10,000 or 25% capacity

→ NHS Test and Trace ‘Venue Check-in Process & We Offer Testing to Our Staff Scheme’ webinar

On Monday 10 May from 2-2.45pm, NHS Test and Trace will be hosting a webinar to provide businesses with support so you have a thorough understand of Regulations.

From Monday 17 May some venues will be required to follow the updated Contact Details Regulations (‘the Regulations’) by asking the public to check in to their venues upon arrival. Throughout the session, NHS Test and Trace will provide details on what the Regulations mean for your sector and how the process will benefit your business and customers.

The check in process will allow individuals to be notified and receive public health advice as quickly as possible. This will play an important role in protecting public health and reducing transmission of COVID-19.

During the session, NHS Test and Trace will provide details on supporting materials available, including posters and guidance sheets, and give you the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.

And finally, they will give you an overview of a new scheme at NHS Test and Trace: We Offer Testing To Our Staff, a simple and free voluntary scheme for businesses offering regular weekly testing to their staff. The scheme is open to those who have signed up for workplace testing and offer a minimum of two tests a week to their employees.

Find out more

→ To assist with the next step of the roadmap, we have a number of recommendations to ensure the smooth transition for our BID Levy Payers. These include:

Encouraging your customers to check-in on the NHS Track and Trace App via the NHS QR code posters displayed in your venues.

Create your coronavirus NHS QR code for your venue here

Ensure your employees continue to be tested regularly. 

Last month, the Liverpool ONE testing centre reopened! Their opening times are 7 days a week, Monday – Saturday 9.30am-5pm and on Sunday’s from 11am-5pm. It is important to note that from 9am-9.30am it will be a priority time for all retail employees to be tested.

Boots stores in Liverpool city centre (Church Street, Castle Street and Clayton Square) are offering collection of free NHS lateral rapid flow device tests as part of the government’s new Pharmacy Collect service. The scheme enables people without Covid-19 symptoms to visit a participating pharmacy and collect a box of seven tests to use twice a week at home.

Find out more details about getting a Covid test here

Reassure customers of the steps you have taken to make your venue covid-safe. 

Our previous mystery shop visits show that you can improve your customers’ sense of safety and likelihood to return by:

→ Displaying posters and signage across your venue to reinforce covid-safe initiatives that have been put in place and encourage social distancing.

→ Encouraging your staff to wear face coverings.

→ Structuring the access/exit/queues to your venue, displaying maximum capacity and offering hand sanitiser.

→ Having staff clean (when possible) during your trading hours.

Updating your opening times and the dates you will be closed or have amended hours on:

→ Your website

→ Social Media accounts

→ Google My Business

→ And any other platforms you use

→ Publish it in your store

→ Let us know your opening times on [email protected] and we can promote these on our channels

Review your Risk Assessments

As an employer, you’re required by law to protect your employees, and others, from harm. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the minimum you must do is:

→ identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards)

→ decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk)

→ take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk

Assessing risk is just one part of the overall process used to control risks in your workplace. For most small, low-risk businesses the steps you need to take are straightforward.

View our Covid-secure guidelines, government guidance and access risk assessment templates here

Focus on preventing overcrowding, introduce queueing, one-way systems, social distancing and let fresh air in where possible.