21 Sep 2020
The Government has announced that certain businesses and community venues will be legally required to collect contact details from customers and retain them for a period of 21 days. Customers who refuse to provide or give false details can be refused entry. Businesses will also be required to display QR codes for the new NHS Covid-19 app at their premises by next Thursday, September 24.
This new rule applies to all venues from the following sectors:
- hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés;
- leisure and tourism, including gyms, swimming pools, hotels, museums, cinemas, zoos and theme parks ;
- close contact services, including hairdressers;
- places of worship; and
- local authority venues.
Any physical location that is open to the public is required to comply with this new rule, so village halls, and any other premises that has visitors is included.
To meet the new legal requirement, the Government is asking all such businesses and organisations to download the QR codes to display as a poster at entrances by September 24.
The Government has provided materials to help you create the poster here. More tips on creating and displaying the poster are here.
Displaying the QR codes means it is easier for customers and visitors to check-in safely and securely on entry to your premises with their smartphones by scanning the code.
You’ll find the Government’s announcement from last week here.
For more information on the NHS COVID-19 app, visit covid19.nhs.uk.
It is not stated anywhere on the Government’s website or elsewhere (yet) what venues should do with customers who cannot use the QR code. We presume initiative must be used, and a manual record must be taken. We will keep you posted as information becomes available.
Village Halls are advised to visit the ACRE website for information about how they can apply the ‘Rule of 6’ and more about contact tracing when that is published.
