COVID-19 Licensing Update

Insight

COVID-19 Licensing Update

UK government plans to open some licensed premises by 04 July

The Government has now released its three-step phase plan to ease lockdown restrictions. The document is entitled Our Plan To Rebuild – The UK Government releases its COVID-19 Recovery Strategy and can be found here.

The Government has provided a glimmer of hope for the hospitality sector as the ambition at step three of the phase plan is to open some of the remaining businesses that have been required to close, such as pubs and accommodation that can comply with social distancing requirements from 04 July 2020.

Some venues which are, by design, crowded and where it may prove difficult to enact distancing may still not be able to re-open safely at this point or may be able to open safely only in part. Nevertheless, the Government will wish to open as many businesses and public places as long as the data and information at the time allows.

The Government has reiterated that the three-step phase is a plan and should infection rates and death rise then they will put the brakes on moving forward with their conditional plan.

Guidance on working safely during COVID-19 in restaurants offering takeaway or delivery

The Government has published guidance to assist employers, employees and the self-employed to understand how to work safely during the COVID-19 pandemic and to keep as many people as possible two metres apart from those they do not live with.

The document provides ideas to think about what you need to do to continue, or restart, operations during these unprecedented times. The full guidance can be found here.

Government extends furlough scheme until October

The Government has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for four months, until the end of October. The scheme, which approximately 7.5million people are now covered by, and is costing over £14 billion a month, will continue in its current format until the end of July with the Government paying 80% of furloughed workers’ wages – up to a maximum of £2,500

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has advised that “from August to October the scheme will continue for all sectors and regions of the UK, but with greater flexibility to support the transition back to work. Employers currently using the scheme will be able to bring employees back part-time. To change their incentives, we will ask employers to start sharing, with the government, the costs of paying people’s salaries.”

COVID-19 Licensing Update