The government has released guidance on what businesses and premises should close and any exceptions.
Takeaway and delivery services may remain open under the guidance previously provided by the government.
Online retail is still open and encouraged and postal and delivery services will run as normal.
Those exceptions in retail and public premises who are to remain open must ensure social distancing will still apply and they must ensure a distance of two meters between customers and shop assistants, let people enter the shop only in small groups and ensure sufficient queue control is in place for outside the premises that will remain open.
The governments advice is that non-essential businesses and premises must now shut, the following businesses and premises must remain closed:
- Restaurants – food delivery and takeaway can remain operational
- Cafes, including workplace canteens – as above, cafes in canteens at hospitals, care homes or schools, prison military canteens and services providing food or drink to the homeless may remain open.
- Public Houses.
- Bars and nightclubs.
- All retail including Hair, beauty piercing and tattoo parlours, auction houses and car showrooms.
- Outdoor and indoor markets – the exceptions to this are those market stalls which offer essential retail, such as groceries and food.
- All hotels and caravan parks– other than those where people live as interim abodes whilst their primary residence is unavailable, they may continue to do so. Key workers can continue to stay in hotels or similar when required.
- Non-essential institutions including libraries, community centres, youth centres – facilities may remain open if hosting essential services such as foodbanks or homeless services
- Places of worship – funerals following social distancing guidance and places of worship should remain open for solitary prayer.
- Cinemas, theatres and concert halls.
- Assembly and leisure premises such as museums, bingo halls, casinos, gyms, swimming pools and other outdoor leisure centres.
- Enclosed spaces in parks.
These premises and other venues must close as they involve prolonged close social contact. The government will be addressing the measure in 3 weeks, and relax them if evidence shows this is possible.
Everyone is instructed to comply with the rules issued by the government in relation to coronavirus, in order to protect both themselves and others. As of 2pm on 21 March 2020, closures on the original list from 20th March are now enforceable by law in England and Wales due to the threat to public health. The government will extend the law and enforcement powers to include the new list of premises for closure. Further measures on enforcement could be taken following the passage of the Coronavirus Bill through parliament. A business operating in contravention of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Business Closures) Regulations 2020 will be committing an offence.
If you would like any further information on the closure of the above businesses and premises then please do get in contact with the Chamber to see if there is any further guidance to support you. For the full guidance from the government, please visit here.
We will be constantly updating our website and urge all businesses to visit our Coronavirus Information Hub for further information.