Last week on July 17th, the Prime Minister held a press conference to update England on some of the new changes that are going to be taking place. The government now feels that as more is known about Covid-19, hot spots of infection can be dealt with at a more local level as opposed to a national level. This will mean that local authorities will have more power to initiate a local lockdown or restrictions for their area. This could include closing specific premises, shutting public outdoor spaces and cancelling events. It is a very good idea that you keep an eye on your local area and make sure you are following all of their guidelines in regards to any local restrictions/lockdowns. The government has also announced the further lifting of some of the current restrictions that affect businesses and the economy – but like all other timetables provided, these are conditional on the rate of infection and how well everyone plays their part in controlling the virus.
1) From August 1st, the government will update the advice about going to work and it will be up to the employers to decide how their staff can work safely. Employers are encouraged to consult closely with their employees and if they wish the staff to return to working in the workplace, they must ensure it is Covid Secure.
2) From August 1st, most of the remaining leisure settings (bowling, skating rinks and casinos) will be allowed to re-open.
3) From August 1st beauticians will be able to provide close contact services like eyelash treatments.
4) Indoor performances to a live audience will be able to restart from August 1st, subject to the success of pilots that are currently being run.
5) Business events and conferences will be allowed to resume from October 1st as long as the infection rate stays down. This means that face-to-face networking events can start to be done again. Again, there will be very clear guidelines that must be followed for each event to take place. You can find the full guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/the-visitor-economy
All businesses will still need to ensure they are operating in a Covid Secure way, so they will need to make sure that they are following the guidelines for their sector as laid out by the government. The guideance for each sector can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
As well as the announcements by the Prime Minister on Tuesday, the government has updated some of the information pages about the various schemes that are available. There are videos on each of the different schemes that the government has made available to businesses and you can access them here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-and-support-if-your-business-is-affected-by-coronavirus-covid-19. The videos cover what the scheme is for and how you make a claim through the scheme.
I am continually monitoring the updates that the government and other business-related departments release and will continue to share that information for as long as I feel that it is beneficial to all businesses in the UK.
The information and policies are continually being updated by the government, so I urge you to keep on top of the information by visiting the relevant website for your area.
UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses
Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
Wales: https://gov.wales/business-and-employers-coronavirus
Northern Ireland: https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/
I will be trying to keep myself as informed as possible and will share relevant information on my fb business page: https://www.facebook.com/ihelmenterprises/