Sefton Council’s Bank Holiday safety reminder to businesses and their customers

Sefton Council’s Environmental Health Team is reminding the Borough’s businesses and their customers to follow the guidelines over the May Bank Holiday.

Among the latest requirements for people visiting bars and restaurants that are open because they have outdoor facilities, is the need for them to be seated while drinking and eating. The volume of any music or TVs should be kept to background levels so people don’t have to raise their voices to chat.

Also, the national regulations now mean everyone visiting a bar or restaurant needs to ‘check in’ by scanning the QR code at the entrance, for Test and Trace purposes. Previously, it was just one person from each group.

Peter Moore, Sefton Council’s Head of Highways & Public Protection said: “From what our teams have seen out and about over the past weeks, most of Sefton’s businesses, including bars and restaurants have done a great job to meet the latest requirements to keep their staff and their customers safe.

“And it seems most people appreciate why the measures are in place and are signing-in at premises and complying with the restrictions.

“With a long weekend approaching, I would just urge everyone to enjoy the holiday spirit but not to the point where they put themselves or others at risk.”

Details of how businesses can create a QR code for their premises are at www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster

Help and support for businesses available from Sefton Council’s Environmental Health team who can be contact at ETSContact@sefton.gov.uk  or by calling 0345 140 0345.

Also, the Government has produced 14 guides to help businesses keep their employees and customers safe They cover a wide range of different types of work and workplace, which can be found at http://gov.uk/workingsafely.

Mr Moore also urged people who are regularly out and in contact with others to take a rapid COVID-19 test twice a week.

He said: “Around a third of those infected with coronavirus don’t show the tell-tale coronavirus symptoms of a new persistent cough, a high temperature or a loss of sense of taste or smell.

“That’s why it’s important that those of us who are out and about need to take rapid regular tests to help prevent us from passing on the virus accidentally, maybe to a friend or relative who’s vulnerable.”

People can get rapid SMART COVID-19 tests from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week at Bootle Leisure Centre and at Southport’s Splash World. And, home test kits are widely available, from test centres, from all Sefton’s pharmacies as well as online from www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

SMART and rapid tests provide a result in as little as 30 minutes. A rapid test at home involves taking a throat & nasal swab, dropping the sample into the container supplied and then checking for the result after 20 to 30 minutes.

Mr Moore added: “I hope everyone has a great May Day Bank Holiday weekend, but I also hope they will remember to protect themselves and those around them.”