In a move that much of the nation has been waiting for, individuals and hospitality businesses alike, the Government has now given the green light for more businesses to reopen on the 4th July, including hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and restaurants.
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, and retail industries but there’s still further room for change. Among the hospitality sectors that will remain closed are nightclubs, 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 hospitality business able to reopen on the 4th 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 4th July, food and drink establishments including hotels 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.
Accommodation
Now that hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, and self-catering accommodation can reopen their doors to the public from the 4th 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.
Is your Hospitality 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 4th 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 Hodgson Insurance Services by giving us a call on 01288 353999 or if it’s a B&B, guest house or hotel quote you’re looking for you can complete our online quote request form here.
