CHESHIRE West and Chester Council is reminding venues which serve the public in the borough that they need to print off and prominently display a new national poster, which supports the NHS Test and Trace Service.

From today (September 24), the Government has made it a legal requirement for venues used by the public to put up the official Covid-19 QR poster on their premises.

The posters should be displayed by all venues from the following sectors: hospitality, leisure and tourism, close contact services, places of worship and local authority venues.

This initiative complements the launch of the new NHS Covid-19 app and the Test and Trace Service.

Everyone is being asked to play their part in the national effort to tackle the increasing spread of the virus by downloading the NHS Covid-19 app from the Apple App Store or Google Play on their smartphones when it launches.

Once the app is downloaded, people can ‘check in’ when they enter public buildings by scanning the QR code on the posters with their smartphones.

This records the date and time they were present in a venue on the app, and later notify users if they have been in contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus.

Cllor Louise Gittins, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “The NHS Covid-19 app is a tool to break the chains of Covid-19 transmission, and help protect our health and care systems.

“I would urge everyone to download it. Alongside the app, it is equally important for public premises to print off and display the Covid-19 QR poster.

"The two complement each other and it is important our residents use both in their daily lives. By doing this, you will be really helping in a productive way to play your part in tracking the virus.

“If people ‘check in’ to premises using the app on their phones, they can feel confident in the knowledge they will be notified by the app if they have come into contact with someone who may have been carrying the virus, is contagious and able to pass it on, but has yet to develop symptoms.”

It is easy to go online and print off the poster. Information on how businesses can create a Covid-19 QR poster for their building can be found at https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/pdf/businesses-qr-guide.pdf

Customer contact details need to be collected by the venue for those people who have not downloaded the app and are not able to ‘check-in’ using the Covid-19 QR poster.

Gathering contact details to support Test and Trace is already a legal requirement.

A template for collecting customer contact details for those who have not downloaded the app is available on the Council’s website at this link: https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/news-and-views/incidents/coronavirus-Covid-19/business-information/re-opening-businesses.aspx

Council officers are visiting venues to help make sure they are aware of the new legal requirements.

Over 200 hospitality businesses in the area are being telephoned by the Health and Safety Executive to ensure they are up to date with the latest Covid-19 measures and legislation.

This will be followed by other sectors including hair and beauty salons and sports venues.

Businesses are being asked several questions to check they are operating safely including; if employees can maintain a two-metre working space from other employees and if customers can also maintain two metres, if not what measures are in place to reduce the risk of infection.

Questions are also asked about how safely deliveries can be made and if employees are being able to maintain two metre social distancing.

To support the NHS Test and Trace programme, which sees contract tracers employed by Serco, businesses are now legally required to take customers' contact details so they can be traced if there is an outbreak. Businesses are being asked if these records are being taken and kept for 21 days.

As the number of positive cases is rising, visits are also increasing to check that the latest measures are in place. This week the government announced further measures for the next six months including:

  • Pubs, bars and restaurants to close at 10pm and restricted to table service only, except for takeaways.
  • Businesses face fines of £10,000 if they take reservations for more than six people and do not enforce social distancing, or do not take customers' contact details.
  • People should work from home wherever possible unless they are working in a COVID-secure workplace, and the job requires it.
  • Face masks to be compulsory for bar staff and non-seated customers, shop workers, waiters and taxi drivers.
  • A limit on guests at weddings reduced from 30 to 15.
  • The plans to allow fans to return to sporting events has been paused.
  • ‘Rule of six’ now applies to indoor team sports.
  • Fines for not wearing masks or following rules increased to £200 for a first offence.
  • Further information about the app is available at: https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/pdf/introducing-the-app.pdf