As announced by the Prime Minister on 31 July, the changes that had been proposed for 1 August will be delayed until at least 15 August due to concerns of rising prevalence in the community within England. The following business and venues will therefore need to remain closed:

• Bowling alleys
• Indoor skating rinks
• Casinos
• Exhibition halls and conference centres
• Nightclubs, dance halls, discotheques
• Sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars
• Indoor play areas, including soft-play areas

The following is taken from the revised guidance 'Closing certain businesses and venues in England':

These remaining restrictions will be kept under review and it remains our intention, subject to the prevalence of the virus, to open these venues as soon as it is safe to do so.

On 31 July, the Prime Minister also announced that there would be no change to guidance on indoor performance, close contact services, and wedding receptions or celebrations. This means that existing guidance in relation to these services and events remain.

1. Reopening of businesses and venues from 25 July

The following businesses and venues were permitted to reopen from 25 July, as outlined in the table below with links to guidance to ensure their safe opening:

• Indoor fitness and dance studios
• Indoor gyms
• Indoor sports courts and facilities
• Indoor swimming pools and indoor water parks

Guidance to ensure safe reopening of businesses and venues from 25 July

2. Businesses and venues already permitted to reopen

The following businesses were permitted in law to reopen in June and July following amendments to the law. Links to guidance to ensure their safe reopening is provided.

Guidance to ensure safe reopening of businesses and venues

3. Businesses and venues which will remain closed

All businesses and venues can remain open, or reopen as stated under Sections 1 and 2 above, except for those in the list below, which remain closed in law:

• Bowling alleys
• Indoor skating rinks
• Casinos
• Exhibition halls and conference centres
• Nightclubs, dance halls, discotheques
• Sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars
• Indoor play areas, including soft-play areas

If your business or venue is permitted to reopen or remain open, it must close off or cease to provide any of the above services if they are part of the business. For example, an indoor play area as part of a restaurant must remain closed.

All indoor and outdoor hospitality including, cafes, bars, pubs, and restaurants, can open unless they are a part of the premises of a business or venue which must remain closed as set out in section two above, unless they are in self-contained units that can be accessed from the outside.

We hope to continue to phase reopening further businesses as soon as possible, and will work with local councils which have a high prevalence of COVID-19 to consider local measures and guidance reflecting where further business openings could be delayed.

4. Test and trace

Collecting customer data

The opening up of the economy following the COVID-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace.

Establishments in certain sectors, including hospitality, tourism and leisure, and close contact services should assist this service by keeping a temporary record of their customers, visitors and staff shift patterns for 21 days. This should be done, in a way that is manageable for their business, and establishments should assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks.

Many businesses that take bookings already have systems for recording their customers and visitors – including restaurants, hotels, and hair salons. If you do not already do this, you should do so to help fight the virus. Please see the guidance for further details.

5. Gatherings

People should continue to socially distance from those they do not live with wherever possible. Social interactions should be limited to a group of no more than two households (indoors and out) or up to six people from different households (if outdoors). It is against the law for gatherings of more than 30 people to take place in private homes (including gardens and other outdoor spaces), other than where an exception set out in the Regulations applies.

Businesses and venues following COVID-19 Secure guidelines can host larger groups in line with guidance for their sector. This is also the case for events in public outdoor spaces that are organised by businesses, charitable or political organisations, and public bodies, provided they take reasonable steps to mitigate the risk of transmission, in line with COVID-19 Secure guidance and including completion of a risk assessment. Any other gathering in a public outdoor space must not be any larger than 30 people, other than where an exception set out in the Regulations applies.

Businesses should demonstrate to their workers and attendees that they have properly assessed their risk and taken appropriate measures to mitigate it, for example by publishing their risk assessment online or making it available at the premises/event.

In particular, those operating venues or running events following COVID-19 Secure guidelines should take additional steps to ensure the safety of the public and prevent large gatherings or mass events from taking place. At this time, venues should not permit live performances, including drama, comedy and music, to take place in front of a live audience.

Individual businesses or venues should also consider the cumulative impact of many venues reopening in a small area. This means working with local authorities, neighbouring businesses and travel operators to assess this risk and applying additional mitigations.

These could include:

• Further lowering capacity - even if it is possible to safely seat a number of people inside a venue, it may not be safe for them all to travel or enter that venue.
• Staggering entry times with other venues and taking steps to avoid queues building up in surrounding areas.
• Arranging one-way travel routes between transport hubs and venues.
• Advising patrons to avoid particular forms of transport or routes and to avoid crowded areas when in transit to the venue.

Local authorities should avoid issuing licenses for events that could lead to larger gatherings forming and provide advice to businesses on how to manage events of this type. If appropriate, both local authorities and the government have powers to close venues, to restrict access to public outdoor spaces, or to cancel events.

6. Compliance

As of 26 March 2020, Regulations (which have now been replaced with consolidated Regulations to take account of the gradual relaxation of restrictions) imposed enforceable restrictions on people in England. The Regulations are reviewed regularly to ensure they are effective and proportionate to the risk to public health. The most recent and up to date England Regulations can be found on the legislation website. Everyone is required to comply with these Regulations issued by the government in relation to coronavirus, in order to protect both themselves and others, to fail to do so can constitute a criminal offence.

An owner, proprietor or manager carrying out a business (or a person responsible for other premises) who contravenes the Regulations, without reasonable excuse, commits an offence. The restrictions on gatherings of more than 30 persons apply to everyone in the gathering.

In England, Environmental Health and Trading Standards officers will monitor compliance with these regulations, with police support provided if appropriate. Businesses and venues that breach restrictions will potentially be subject to prohibition notices, and a person who is 18 or over, who carries on a business in contravention of the Regulations may be issued with a fixed penalty.

With the support of the police, prohibition notices can be used to require compliance with the Regulations including requiring that an activity ceases. It is also an offence, without reasonable excuse, to fail to comply with a prohibition notice.

If prohibition notices are not complied with, or a fixed penalty notice not paid, you may also be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose potentially unlimited fines.

7. Closing specific premises or public places

Both a local authority or the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have the power to direct the closure of, or to restrict access to, a specific premises or public outdoor place where this is necessary and proportionate to manage a serious and imminent threat to public health relating to coronavirus in England. Exercise of this power is subject to a right of appeal by an owner or occupier to a Magistrates Court (or, if used by a local authority, through representations to the Secretary of State). Where this power is used, people will not be allowed to enter or remain in the premises or outdoor place without reasonable excuse (such as that the person lives or works in the restricted area). Local authorities must advertise the extent of the restriction and they and owners/operators of the place subject to the restriction must take reasonable steps to restrict access of people visiting the area. Failure to comply can be a criminal offence.

8. Business support

In England, under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG) measures announced on Monday March 16, businesses and venues in England in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will be eligible for cash grants of up to £25,000 per property.

Eligible businesses and venues in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of up to £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000. Eligible businesses and venues in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of between £15,001 and £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000. Businesses and venues with a rateable value of over £51,000 are not included in this scheme.

For more information please visit the government’s business support page.

9. Business rates

In England, as announced on Monday 16 March, the government will provide a business rates holiday for businesses and venues in the retail, hospitality and/or leisure sector. This includes the businesses and venues in scope for closure listed above. The relief will apply to business rates bills for the 2020 to 2021 tax year.

10. Face coverings

In England, face coverings are currently required by law to be worn in the following settings: shops, supermarkets, indoor transport hubs, indoor shopping centres, banks, building societies, post offices and on public transport. From 8 August, face coverings will be required by law to be worn in a greater number of public indoor settings including: museums, galleries, cinemas, places of worship, and public libraries. Please be mindful that there are valid exemptions for some individuals and groups to not wear a face covering in these settings.

People are also strongly encouraged to wear a face covering in any other enclosed public space where there are people they do not normally meet.

You can find the legislation and the GOV.UK guidance has been updated in line with this.

11. Further information

This guidance will be updated regularly as the situation develops and to reflect frequently asked questions. For information about support for business, please go to the government’s business support page or visit GOV.UK.

12. Scope of restrictions

The Devolved Administrations have issued their own guidance and regulations on these matters. The guidance can be found below:

• Wales
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland