Covid-19 compliance checks at pubs, bars, restaurants and food and drink outlets in Gedling borough are increasing this weekend to further support business owners trading securely.
Environmental Health Officers from Gedling Borough Council are providing support to business owners to maintain their secure practices with extra visits to premises across the area, backed by Nottinghamshire Police.
The checks are building on the teams’ activity of recent weeks, helping owners and staff understand and apply the latest rule changes after Nottinghamshire’s move to being a ‘high’ risk area this week.
From socially distanced tables, table service and some outlets offering safe outdoor areas to accommodate rule of six, officers will offer advice and assistance to owners on how to maintain safe premises to maximise customer safety and encourage ‘Hands Face Space’ when not sat at a table.
Jonathan Gribbin, director of Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “As we move into the first weekend of living at high alert level, it’s important that we all play our part to help stop the spread of infection.
“If you are planning on going out, please remember that you cannot mix indoors with another household unless it’s your support bubble and the rule of six applies outside.
“The majority of businesses are going to great lengths to help keep their customers, staff and visitors safe from COVID-19 and I’d like to thank them for their diligence. Their actions are supporting the work to safeguard local jobs, local people and protect the NHS and health services.”
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “This weekend of action will help the ongoing work we are doing to support our local businesses during the pandemic. We have already visited over 130 businesses across the borough in the last few weeks and the vast majority are doing everything they can to make sure their premises are safe for customers.
“This operation is being done to reinforce the importance of doing everything we can to try and get the number of cases down in our boroughs while keeping our businesses open. It is a real challenge for everyone but we are here to help our businesses and reassure our residents.”
Nottinghamshire Police will also have a presence in town and village centres to provide further reassurance to business owners and offer any advice around customers leaving premises safely at 10pm closing times.
Neighbourhood Inspector Craig Berry said: “We are fully behind the councils as they endeavour to carry out these spot checks on businesses and as police we will support them in this approach.
“We are very grateful to all those people and businesses who are complying with the rules, and I am very pleased to say the vast majority are. Where there are issues of the rules not being followed we will look to encourage compliance and only where this is not possible will we enforce.”
One business to pass an inspection with flying colours is It’s Inn The Bank in Netherfield.
Environment inspectors from Gedling Borough Council visited this week to see if the pub was covid-secure – and the business was quickly given the thumbs up.
Owner Nicola Murphy said: “We’ve done our absolute best to keep our community safe, despite some criticism for being too strict by adhering to all the regulations.
“Now that these new restrictions have come in, and there was alot of uncertainty about how these new “social bubble” allowances work it was so reassuring to have a visit from the gedling borough council who not only took the time to make sure everything was correct but also gave us the confidence that we were right in what we were doing. The last thing any pub needs right now is heavy fines & the threat of closure for not doing things safely so it meant alot for us all at its inn the bank that we were given the thumbs up!
How do they make out that cases are on the rise when the streets and roads are deserted