Sponsored editorial: Produced in association with the UK Government

People across the country are being encouraged to enjoy summer safely by following official advice and staying safe.

Pubs, restaurants, bars and hairdressers have followed UK Government advice and started to reopen, marking the start of summer. Safety measures to protect staff and customers are in place, with people asked to be sensible, continue to follow social distancing messages to remain two metres away from other people where possible and stay close to home to support local business.

To help people plan days out, the UK Government has launched the Know Before You Go website.

Here's what action businesses have taken to ensure we can all enjoy summer safely...

The UK Government helped thousands of pubs, restaurants and hairdressers reopen safely on Saturday, July 4, with detailed practical information to help keep staff and customers safe.

The new Covid-19 secure guidance for the hospitality sector and hairdressers meant businesses were able to reopen across England, provided they met key criteria.

UK Government officials have worked alongside over 300 key industry stakeholders and trade unions to develop clear plans in line with scientific advice and public health directions, building on existing guidance published in May. The new guidance sets out a range of measures for pubs and restaurants to become Covid-19 secure, including...

• Requiring use of table service where possible instead of ordering at the bar and assigning a single staff member per table.
• Discouraging non-essential trips by staff within venues, such as between the kitchen and front of house, by using radios and other electronic devices to communicate.
• Providing clear guidance on social distancing and hygiene as people arrive on the premises, with signage and visual aids.
• Encouraging use of contactless ordering from tables where available, such as through an app.
• Encouraging customers to use hand sanitiser or hand washing facilities as they enter the venue.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “We know this pandemic has been particularly hard for people working in hairdressing and hospitality. Allowing pubs, restaurants and hairdressers to open will be another step in our plan to kickstart our economic recovery in a safe manner. The guidance we have set out provides clear, practical steps businesses can take to open in a way that is as safe as possible for workers and customers.”

Separate guidance has been published for hairdressers, which states that a clear visor should be worn by the person providing the service, covering the face and providing a barrier between the wearer and the customer from respiratory droplets caused by sneezing, coughing or speaking.

The government is also consulting with industry on how businesses should record customer information to help keep customers and employees safe and support the new test and trace system.

Community pub makes customer safety top priority

A community pub in Nottinghamshire is among many across England that has worked hard to put plans in place to be able to reopen on July 4 after being closed for more than three months.

Kathryn Boam, who owns the Dog and Parrot in Eastwood with husband David, talked us through the steps they have taken to follow Government guidance and ensure staff and customers are safe when they open their doors.

Kathryn said: “We are a community hub in the area and have quite a few older customers that use our pub to maintain their friendship group.

“We are safeguarding them, making sure that social distancing guidelines are in place, and kept to.

“Myself and my husband work full time and we have one person working 29 hours with five others working part-time as and when required.

“We have needed more staff on duty to make sure all the measures are kept to correctly. This is a higher cost to the business and will be factored into our business model.

“We carried out a full risk assessment of the business and premises, putting safe distancing measures in line with government guidance.”

Measures introduced at the pub include...

• Placing hand sanitiser stations at the front and back door, and in all toilets.
• Ensuring there is clear signage throughout the pub, and the instructions and rules are clear.
• Anyone not following the instructions, or acting in a manner that is not safe, will be asked to leave.
• Placing social distancing markers on the floor.
• Wiping down surfaces with anti-bacterial spray using disposable cloths.
• Providing hand sanitiser for staff.
• Implementing table service only, so no one will be walking up to the bar.
• Washing glassware after each use and jugs for the ales/ ciders/ lager where possible.
• Having a single person responsible for cleaning tables and monitoring the floor and only one person serving behind the bar.
• Checking all toilets regularly to ensure customers have hand soap and there are electric hand dryers in all toilets.
• Changing opening times to ensure the pub can be deep cleaned regularly.

Kathryn added: “With the help of our staff, we carried out a risk assessment and came up with ideas and plans to ensure we can open safely and be Covid-19 secure.

“We have also been talking to other local landlords, working together to exchange ideas and ensure we are all joined up in our actions.”

Guidance to help your business

The UK Government has published guidance to support businesses to reopen and keep workers and customers safe so they feel confident to return.

To find out about measures your business needs to implement to reopen safely, there is an online tool, which will direct you to guidelines specific to your type of workplace at gov.uk/coronavirus-business-reopening.

If you run a business and would like to know which of the coronavirus support schemes you are eligible for, you can use the business support finder tool. It takes just minutes to complete and will help you easily find support for your business.

If you're planning a day out don't forget to head to Visit Britain