The single most important action we can all take in fighting coronavirus is to stay at home and away from others. This is known as Social Distancing. You can find more information on the Government’s website about:

• Social Distancing by staying alert, controlling the virus, and in doing so, save lives.
• Staying Safe Outside Your Home to lower the risk of transmission of the virus.
• Self-isolation for households with possible coronavirus infection.
• Shielding  and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable from COVID-19.
• Handwashing to protect yourself and others from illnesses. This useful video shows you how to wash your hands to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The most up to date guidance on what businesses and venues should be closed can be found on the Government’s website for Closing Certain Businesses

From 4 July most businesses and venues can reopen, except for the list below, which remain closed in law:

• Nightclubs
• Casinos
• Bowling alleys and Indoor skating rinks
• Indoor play areas including soft-play
• Spas
• Nail bars, beauty salons and tanning salons
• Massage, tattoo and piercing parlours
• Indoor fitness and dance studios, and indoor gyms and sports venues/facilities
• Swimming pools including water parks
• Exhibition or conference centres must remain closed for events such as exhibitions or conferences, other than for those who work for the business or organisation who run the venue.

This guidance can change so it is  advisable to visit the link regularly so you are up-to-date.

Employers that want to reopen their business have a legal responsibility to protect their employees and other people on site. You can find more information at:

• Reopen your business safely during coronavirus (COVID‑19)
• Reopening and adapting your food business during COVID-19
• Working safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• 5 steps to working safely
• Public Health Covid-19: Business Re-opening
• Business Companion Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance
• For Employers, employees and the self-employed
• Cleaning and Waste

You can get free COVID-19 signage for your businesses:

• Limiting the number of customers entering the shop
• Maintain 2m distance when queuing outside and in the shop
• Keep a distance of 2m at all times
• Public Health England’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Centre

Guidance has been produced for people who provide close contact services, including hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, tattooists, sports and massage therapists, dress fitters, tailors and fashion designers.

• Guidance for all sectors
• Close contact services
• Reopening salons and spas following lockdown: reducing risks of COVID-19 and other considerations
• Cosmetic Practitioners
• Hairdressers & Barber
• Salon Guidance
• FREE Training - Control of Cross-infection in a Post-COVID-19 World

Although it is very unlikely that coronavirus is transmitted through food, anyone handling food should continue to follow good hygiene practices. More information on how to do this can be found at:

• Guidance for all sectors
• Reopening and adapting your food business during COVID-19
• Guidance for food businesses on coronavirus
• Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services
• Food delivery and takeaway guidance
• Shops and branches
• Advice and Risk Assessments For Hospitality Businesses
• Workplace Guidance for Pubs - FAQs

 These checklists will help you to put in place measures in your workplace to keep both employees and customers safe:

• FSA Checklist 
• Wolverhampton Council Checklist 

You will need to consider closing your business if you are not able to introduce sufficient measures to control the risk from coronavirus.

It is important that everyone understands how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic. You can find more information on the Government’s website:

• Guidance for all sectors
• Close contact services 
• Construction and other outdoor work 
• Factories, plants and warehouses 
• Heritage locations 
• Hotels and other guest accommodation 
• Labs and research facilities 
• Offices and contact centres 
• Other people's homes 
• Shops and branches 
• Vehicles 
• The visitor economy 
• Scottish Government Retail Guidance 
• Guidance for managing playgrounds and outdoor gyms 

The NHS test and trace service:

• provides testing for anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus to find out if they have the virus
• gets in touch with anyone who has had a positive test result to help them share information about any close recent contacts they have had
• alerts those contacts, where necessary, and notifies them they need to self-isolate to help stop the spread of the virus

You can find more information on the Government’s website about NHS test and trace

Employers, the self-employed and people in control of premises, have a duty to identify and control risks associated with legionella. These guidance documents will help all organisations that rely on a safe water supply to undertake their business activities to consider the risk and implemented additional control measures.

• Legionella risks during the coronavirus outbreak
• Legionnaires’ disease: lockdown risks and reopening safely
• Guidance for organisations on supplying safe water supplies

The government has introduced draft guidance: pavement licences to streamline the process and make it cheaper for businesses such as cafes, restaurants and bars to secure a licence to place furniture on the highway. This will support them to operate safely while social distancing measures remain in place.

If you want to place an A-Board, Tables and Chairs and Goods on part of the Public Highway you will require a licence from Wolverhampton Council. You can find out more information on the Licensing page or by contacting Licensing