In a move that much of the nation has been waiting for, individuals and businesses alike, the Government has now given the green light for more businesses to reopen on the 4^th July, including restaurants, pubs and hairdressers.

The 2m rule has now been reduced to 1m plus in areas where 2m isn’t possible, allowing those with smaller premises to reopen with mitigations in place.

This highly anticipated move will be hugely welcomed by the hospitality, food, retail and hairdressing industries but there’s still further room for change. Among the sectors that will remain closed are nightclubs, indoor gyms and tattoo parlours, with theatres and music venues still unable to host live performances.

Britain’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has warned that these steps were “reversible” if the number of infections begin to rise again.

Is your business able to reopen on the 4^th July? We’ve compiled some useful resources to guide you on preparing your business for a safe reopening leading up to this date.

Food establishments, pubs and bars
While some cafes and restaurants have been continuing to operate through lockdown with delivery and takeaway services, from the 4^th July, food and drink establishments will now be able to accommodate customers in-house. This is under the proviso that sufficient social distancing and hygiene measures can be adhered to. To help you get prepared in advance, The Food Standards Agency has provided a reopening checklist to enable food businesses to open safely.

Access the checklist here

Hairdressers 
Over the past few months, we’ve become a nation of box-dyers and tentative trimmers but now the time has finally come where we can visit hairdressers once again. The Government has confirmed this will come with a whole host of new rules and regulations, including the use of visors to ensure public and staff safety.

As well as preparing your premises, hairdressers will also need to consider how best to manage the surge of appointments that come in during the first few weeks and even months, in order to maintain these strict safety measures.

Here’s what to consider:

• Create a waiting list and manage expectations realistically
• Keep engaged with your clients on social media
• Consider opening more days a week to accommodate more customers without overcrowding
• Upgrade your technology to enable online bookings
• Make your hygiene procedures publicly available
• Ensure your customers are aware of what to expect before their appointment
• Consider allocating specific days/times for clients with gift vouchers to ensure you can continue to generate consistent cash flow.

Hairdressers Journal International has provided a set of guidelines to give hairdressers a starting point to consider when considering safety in their salon.

Access the guidelines here

Accommodation
Now that self-catering accommodation, hotels and B&Bs can reopen their doors to the public from the 4^th July, there’s a lot to consider in the meantime.

In the latter end of March, the WHO published guidance for the accommodation sector on operational considerations for COVID-19 which continues to contain relevant advice and considerations for management.

Access the WHO guidelines here

You can also find guidance on hotel security measures, while incorporating COVID-19 considerations, in the checklist below.

Access the checklist here

Is your Business Insurance due a refresh?
It’s likely that your business has made some changes since the start of lockdown and you may have even made amends to your insurance already. If you are reopening your business on the 4^th July, it’s essential to make sure your insurance meets your current requirements.

To get your insurance back to where it needs to be, just get in touch with Lockyers on 01924 278222.