Supporting Businesses to be Covid-Secure

South Tyneside Council will be working alongside the Health and Safety Executive to visit businesses to check that they have Covid-secure measures in place.

The spot checks, which will start next week, will be conducted at premises in the Borough including restaurants and close contact services such as hairdressers, barbers, tattoo studios and tanning and beauty salons.

The visits will ensure that local businesses have the correct measures in place to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus and protect staff, customers and visitors.

Stuart Wright, Head of Environment, said: "The Council and HSE will be carrying out unannounced visits to businesses that we have regulatory responsibility for.

"We'll be checking that they are aware of and are operating in line with government guidance and have the correct measures in place to help prevent infection and protect people's health.

"The Borough's businesses are crucial to our local economy so supporting them to ensure they are Covid-secure is a priority.

"We will be providing advice and guidance but where we identify any significant concerns that businesses are not managing risk properly, we will take appropriate enforcement action."

Being COVID-secure means that businesses need to put adjustments in place to manage risk and protect workers and others from Being COVID-secure means that businesses need to put adjustments in place to manage risk and protect workers and others from Coronavirus.

The Council is also working alongside local public health authorities to support the understanding of any patterns in confirmed coronavirus cases in the area.

For the latest information and safer business guidance, see www.gov.uk