Hospitality - Coronavirus Good Practice Advice

Step change three makes provision for:

• Indoor hospitality for up to two household or a maximum of 6 people
• Outdoor hospitality up to 30 people
• Provision of entertainment
• Life events up to 30 people including weddings, civil partnerships and wakes.
• Overnight accommodation

The following recommendations are best practice advice for business operators. These draw on the key measures and best evidence that regulators and Public Health have experienced throughout the pandemic. The aim is to provide operators in Warwickshire the best advice to keep themselves, their staff and customers safe.

Indoor Hospitality

• Space – maintain 2m distancing between tables, staff and where people are moving through the premises. COVID-19 Variants are more virulent because they spread on small aerosol particles over a great distance, particularly in more confined spaces.
• Face coverings – staff should wear a face covering at all times, unless they are exempt. This includes back and front of house staff. Please use the COVID-19 lanyards so that customers can easily recognise a staff member is exempt.
• Customers should always wear a face covering when moving through the premises unless they are exempt.
• Hygiene – maintain high levels of hygiene for at all times. This includes appropriate hand sanitisers at points of entry and exit and at the entrance to toilets. Tables and chairs are thoroughly cleaned between each booking and high use touch points such as door handles, railings and card payment machines are cleaned regularly (at least every 30 minutes or between uses).
• Ventilation – good ventilation is a key measure. Make maximum use of natural ventilation by keeping doors and windows open. If the door is a fire door it should not be held open unless it is fitted with a suitable and sufficient automatic hold-open device by a qualified tradesperson, which will activate upon activation of the fire alarm. If you are using mechanical ventilation, avoid systems that recirculate air.
• One-way systems – where possible, introduce a one-way system to prevent pinch points.
• Table service – customers should remain seated at all times. Avoid the use of buffets, or internal collection points for food or drink. Customers should preferably make payment at their table. Seating around bars can create pinch points, particularly for staff. We would encourage operators to avoid introducing this at this time.
• Staff – best practice is to have staff undertake an LFT twice a week. If there is a COVID-19 positive result, staff should undertake a PCR. Please follow Test and Trace process of self-isolation and contact tracing if staff or visitors test positive. 
• Please do not wait for NHS Test and Trace and begin contact tracing yourself to ask people to isolate if they have been a close contact of a positive case.  For close contact definitions please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-contacts-of-people-with-possible-or-confirmed-coronavirus-covid-19-infection-who-do-not-live-with-the-person/guidance-for-contacts-of-people-with-possible-or-confirmed-coronavirus-covid-19-infection-who-do-not-live-with-the-person#:~:text=A%20person%20may%20also%20be,don't%20currently%20have%20symptoms  
• To report any positive COVID-19 cases please notify by emailing dphadmin@warwickshire.gov.uk and we can support you.  This email address can also be used for further advice.

Outdoor Hospitality including life events

• Social Distancing – we recognise that outdoor hospitality poses a lesser risk, but it is still best to maintain social distancing rules. If you can maintain tables at 2m social distance, then we would encourage you to do so. Our best advice is to have tables no less than 1.5m apart and ensure the layout allows a natural flow of people through the outdoor space and to access amenities.
• Groups of more than 6 and up to 30 – our best advice is to continue have tables for 2 households or up to 6 people. We appreciate that a party of up to 30 people may wish to interact with each other. However, having smaller tables, with customers seated when food and drink is being consumed is encouraged and supports staff in providing a service. Best practice would be to set up tables so that a larger booking can be separated from other customers who may be disturbed or made to feel uncomfortable by a larger group. We would recommend that when a prebooking is made for larger groups, the names of all of the guests are taken, in addition to the use of the QR codes.
• Face coverings – the requirement for all customers wearing to wear a face covering when standing or moving through the premises remains. This includes customer of larger groups who may interact between tables. Best practice is for all staff to wear a face covering, unless exempt.
• Other points of good practice – all of the above recommendations in relation to hygiene, one-way systems and table service should still be applied to outdoor spaces. Avoid any outdoor activity which requires customer to collect food or drink. This includes buffets or BBQ’s. If you are looking to hold a BBQ style event, maintain a table service.

Provision of Entertainment

• If you are looking to introduce entertainment at your venue, ensure that customers are fully aware that they must remain seated at all times. This includes outdoor entertainment. Please check with your Local Authority if your planned outdoor entertainment requires a Temporary Event Notice.
• Ideally music should be kept to a low level to reduce the need for people to sit close or shout. This will also discourage people from singing and shouting.
• Live screens – if you are looking to reintroduce screening of live events, it is important to note that all of the requirements of table service, hygiene, ventilation and social distancing remain.

Overnight accommodation

• If you are booking overnight accommodation, please ensure that your guests fully understand the rules. This includes interaction between guests in separate rooms which must be discouraged and sanctions applied.
• If you offer evening meals or breakfast, please ensure all of the requirement related to guests being seated, 2m social distancing between tables, hygiene, ventilation and one-way systems are applied.
• If you are offering overnight accommodation, we would encourage you to request guest have a LFT test within 24 hours prior to their booked stay.

NOTE – Use of QR codes remains part of the legislative requirements

Last updated Monday, 24th May 2021