Reopening Businesses and “One Metre Plus” Rule from 4 July

All businesses and venues can reopen from 4 July, except for the list below, which remain closed by law:

– Nightclubs
– Casinos
– Bowling alleys and Indoor skating rinks
– Indoor play areas including soft-play
– Spas
– Nail bars, beauty salons and tanning salons
– Massage, tattoo and piercing parlours
– Indoor fitness and dance studios, and indoor gyms and sports venues/facilities
– Swimming pools including water parks
– Exhibition or conference centres must remain closed for events such as exhibitions or conferences, other than for those who work for the business or organisation who run the venue.

Further points to note following the announcement

Cafes, restaurants and shops that are self-contained and can be accessed from the outside, will still be permitted to open. All other businesses and venues can reopen from 4 July. Examples are available here including links to guidance to ensure their safe-reopening.

The government has moved from a mandatory two-metre social distancing approach to one-metre plus (two-metres in most circumstances, one-metre if that’s not possible, so long as there are additional safeguards in place, such as face shields).

Businesses which can open, such as restaurants, may have to change how they operate, for example by providing table service.

The UK government will continue to phase reopening and hope to reopen other close-contact businesses as soon as possible.

Reopen your business safely during Coronavirus

Employers that want to reopen their business have a legal responsibility to protect their employees and other people on site. The UK government has developed a new tool and guidance for businesses to check what their workplace needs to do to keep people safe.

Businesses should use this guidance to assist with a risk assessment and make sensible adjustments to the site and workforce. If businesses do not carry out a risk assessment, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or relevant local council can issue an enforcement notice. This guidance is only for businesses that are allowed to reopen in England.

Updated guidance on working safely during Coronavirus

You should review the updated workplace guidance available to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the Coronavirus pandemic.