Trafford Council is reminding non-essential businesses about restrictions on opening as the national lockdown continues.
The Government’s roadmap out of lockdown has provisionally indicated that non-essential businesses such as kitchen, bathroom and tile showrooms, hairdressers, nail bars and gyms must stay closed until at least Monday 12 April.
Some businesses may be able to open partially for trade customers or for medical activity. It is important that businesses make themselves fully aware of the rules in their particular area to avoid being told to close or incurring a fine.
Examples include:
- In kitchen, bathroom and tile showrooms, trade counters may remain open for tradespeople but showrooms must remain closed and visits should not be booked, even on an individual basis. Customers may collect online orders but they must not enter the premises to do so.
- Physiotherapists that operate from a treatment room within a wider fitness facility may continue to practise as long as an entrance separate to the gym area can be used. Gyms and fitness centres must remain closed.
- Group outdoor exercise classes are not permitted but one-to-one training with a personal trainer can continue outdoors in a public outdoor place, such as a park.
Although children will be returning to school from 8 March, government guidance around working from home has not changed, and everyone who can work from home must continue to do so.
The Council’s Environmental Health team has been working with Trafford businesses throughout the pandemic to provide support and advice as to how they can operate safely and within the rules. The team is happy to help with any enquiry, however specific, and can be contacted by emailing environmental.health@trafford.gov.uk.
Cllr Mike Freeman, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Covid Recovery and Reform said:
“Over the past 12 months we have been through numerous sets of rules and restrictions at both a national and local tier level, and it is understandable that at times some businesses have found it a challenge to keep up with the latest requirements. Nevertheless, it’s important that through what will hopefully be the last weeks of lockdown, we all continue to abide by the rules, which are in place to keep the spread of Covid-19 to a minimum and ultimately allow society to open up again.
Our Environmental Health team is here to guide businesses through the detail and support them to trade safely. If you’re not sure of what is permitted and not permitted for your particular area of activity, please do contact the team and take their advice.”
Information about coronavirus business grants is regularly updated on the Council website and can be found at www.trafford.gov.uk/coronavirus. Businesses can also subscribe to weekly email updates by emailing business@trafford.gov.uk.
Posted on Wednesday 3rd March 2021