Post ‘Freedom Day’ considerations…

After more than a year of lockdowns and restrictions of differing levels, we’re now moving into a period of comparative freedom. From Monday July 19th 2021, dubbed ‘Freedom Day’, the majority of restrictions are lifted.

This doesn’t mean however, that there is no guidance for small businesses to follow!

Maintaining Records to Support NHS Test and Trace.

With media coverage of the ‘Pingdemic’, with 530,126 contact tracing alerts being sent out in the week to the 7th July, certain sectors are still being asked to ‘encourage’ visitors and staff to ‘check in’. This is deemed essential to ensure that contacts can be identified and the transmissions reduced.

The sectors involved are as follows:

• hospitality, including pubs, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and cafes
• tourism and leisure, including theatres, museums and cinemas
• close contact services
• places of worship
• facilities provided by local authorities such as libraries and community centres

The easiest way to do this continues to be by displaying an NHS QR code which can be scanned, but this is no longer a legal requirement. Official NHS QR code posters can be generated online.

More details on the guidance for maintaining records to support NHS Test and Trace can be found here.

Cleaning in non-healthcare settings outside the home.

As we’re all aware, regular cleaning can reduce the chance of transmitting COVID-19, and updated guidance has been issued around what areas we should be concentrating on. Many of these are self explanatory, but differ depending on whether someone with COVID-19 has been present.

You can find more details of the recommended procedures to follow both for general purposes and in the event that a person with symptoms has left the setting here.