From Friday 10 December: The legal requirement to wear a face mask has been extended to most public indoor venues, including theatres and cinemas. There will be exemptions where it is not practical, such as when eating, drinking, exercising and singing.
From Monday 13 December: The re-introduction of working from home where possible. Employers were advised to use the rest of week to discuss arrangements with employees. Where employees have to go to their workplace, they are advised to reduce contacts to reduce transmission.
From Wednesday 15 December: The NHS Covid Pass will be mandatory for entry into nightclubs and venues where large crowds gather. This includes unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people and any venue with more than 10,000 people.
The NHS Covid Pass can still be obtained with two doses of the vaccine, but this will be kept under review as the boosters roll out. Alternatively, a negative lateral flow test can be shown. There would be a small number of exemptions for medical reasons and for those on clinical trials. Businesses can download the NHS Pass Verifier which will scan someone’s vaccine passport and hold the data within the NHS, so removing any barrier or GDPR concern.
Daily tests will be introduced for Omicron contacts rather than self-isolation to keep people safe while minimising the disruption to daily life.
The Working Safely guidance is currently being updated. We will share this and further details as soon as possible.
Key to avoiding further Coronavirus restrictions is increasing the uptake of vaccinations. See further information here about how your staff and members can volunteer to help get as many people vaccinated as possible in the weeks ahead.
Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, CBE, President of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“We have been calling on the UK Government for several months to set out what contingency plans for business would look like if further restrictions were needed this winter. Yet again, firms are now being asked to make changes at the very last minute. Restrictions will also impact on consumer behaviour with knock on effects which could risk the fragile recovery, order books and revenues.
“Many businesses have only just begun to get back on their feet and this move will inevitably damage business confidence. Critically, firms need to know that the Government will support them through this next period.
“The Government must once again stand shoulder to shoulder with business and provide a package of support to ensure that we get through a challenging winter without serious damage to our economic recovery.”
On Work From Home
“A return to advice that staff should work from home ‘where they can’ will come at a huge cost to swathes of businesses.
“While many firms now have well established remote or hybrid working practices, which will provide some resilience, there will be many more that will be badly affected by reduced footfall in our towns and city centres.
“This will impact on business revenues at a time when many needed to have a prosperous festive season. We need to have grant support in place for all firms affected and their supply chains.”
On Covid Passports
“We need to immediately see full details from Government of how businesses will be expected to implement this policy. Chamber businesses have told us repeatedly that this could prove difficult to implement and police effectively without comprehensive support and clear guidance. The full backing of Government and authorities is needed in enforcing this policy which can often put staff at risk of harassment or even violence. In addition, they will need to understand urgently where legal responsibility for compliance with the policy sits. Businesses will have a strong preference for legal responsibility to sit with individuals to comply, as it does with facemasks.”
“Firms will also want early clarity on whether booster shots will play any part in the scheme.”
On Self Isolation Changes
“We welcome the pragmatic step to allow contacts of Omicron cases to leave self- isolation per daily negative lateral flow test results. This will give businesses providing critical services a chance to maintain staff levels at a time when these are already strained by labour shortages and will help to avoid another ‘pingdemic’.”
Source From BCC
Original News HERE
