• COVID-19 Response: Autumn and Winter Plan 2021 .
• Proposal for mandatory COVID certification in a Plan B scenario: call for evidence.

Testing

Around one in three people with Covid-19 do not have symptoms but could still infect others. Getting tested is the only way to know if you have the virus, so regular testing is recommended. For up to date information regarding rapid testing sites (symptomatic and asymptomatic), home test kits and pharmacy testing please visit Coronavirus Testing.

Vaccinations

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective and approved. It gives you the best protection against the virus and is saving lives. The vaccine is now available to anyone in England aged 16 and over. Visit Covid-19 vaccination to see the latest walk-in vaccination clinics.

• Step 4 overview
• Construction and other outdoor work
• Hotels and Guest Accommodation
• Offices, Factories and Labs
• Restaurants, Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs and Takeaway Services
• Shops, Branches and Close Contact Services

Guidance for Events, Weddings, Wakes and other significant life events

• Events and attractions

• Stay at Home guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (Covid-19) infection
• Travel to England from another country during coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Red list of countries and territories

Good ventilation brings fresh or cleaned air into indoor spaces. The more fresh air that is brought inside, the more diluted any airborne virus will become. In poorly ventilated spaces, residual virus can remain in the air after an infected person has left and increase the risk of COVID-19 spreading.

You should maximise the supply of fresh air in your premises. You can do this through:

• Fully or partially opening windows, air vents and doors to improve natural ventilation
• If you use mechanical ventilation, ensuring that your systems are set to maximise fresh air and minimise air recirculation. Maximising the amount of fresh air your system draws in or ensuring additional fresh air will help avoid COVID-19 spreading.
• Identifying any poorly ventilated spaces as part of your risk assessment, and taking steps to improve fresh air flow in these areas (see below for further details)

You can also encourage the use of outside space where practical, in particular for higher risk activity such as exercise or when people are singing or raising their voices.

Useful Links:

• Advice on air conditioning and ventilation from HSE
• HSE advice on how to use a CO2 monitor
• BOHS Simple Ventilation Self-Help Guide for Workplaces During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• COVID-19 and Ventilation Frequently Asked Questions
• BOHS – Covid-19: Occupation Risk Rating and Control Options According to Exposure Rank
• Emerging from lockdown

As an employer, you must protect people from harm. This includes taking reasonable steps to protect your workers and others from coronavirus. This is called a COVID-19 risk assessment and it’ll help you manage risk and protect people. If you employ 5 or more then the results of this risk assessment must be written down. Please view Risk Assessment for more information.

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

Organisations in certain sectors should collect details and maintain records of staff, customers and visitors on their premises to support NHS Test and Trace. You can find more information on the Government’s website about maintaining records

Venues in hospitality e.g. cafes, restaurants, pubs, the tourism and leisure industry, close contact services and local authority facilities must now display an official NHS QR code poster so that customers and visitors can ‘check in’. It is encouraged that all customers, where possible, use this NHS QR Code.

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

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
• Here to Help Food Businesses
• 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

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have updated their guidance to help you manage the health and safety of volunteers and those who work with them. For more information please visit Volunteering: How to manage the risks.