Please see below for important information on health and safety during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
HSE continues to check businesses are COVID-secure during the Christmas period
As many get ready for the festive period and businesses are busy completing orders in time for Christmas, it’s really important to continue to make sure workplaces are COVID-secure and workers are following the measures in place.
Being COVID-secure means businesses need to keep up to date with the latest guidance and put measures in place to manage the risk from coronavirus, and protect workers, visitors and customers.
To check businesses are following the guidance, HSE will continue to carry out spot checks and inspections by calling and visiting businesses in the run up to Christmas. During the calls and visits, we provide advice and guidance to manage risk and protect workers and visitors, but where businesses are not managing this, we will take immediate action. This can range from the provision of specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, this could lead to prosecution.
Please ensure your workplace is safe by following the guidance on being COVID-secure. Further information on spot checks and inspections is available on our website.
Changes ahead as the transition period ends: Act now
Businesses need to ensure they are prepared for the end of the transition period.Whatever the outcome of the trade negotiations, there will be changes for businesses from 1 January 2021 and there are actions your business can take now.
To find out what changes your business needs to make, visit our Brexit website where we have guidance on:
There is further information available on GOV.UK.
Update from the Department for Health and Social CareSelf-isolation period has been reduced from 14 to 10 days.
All 4 of the UK’s Chief Medical Officers have announced that they are confident in reducing the number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10 days after reviewing the evidence. Self-isolation is essential to reducing the spread of COVID as it breaks the chains of transmission. People who return from countries which are not on the travel corridor list should also self-isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days. People who test positive should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms or 10 days from point of taking a positive test if asymptomatic.
The change to the isolation period for contacts will apply to all those who are currently self-isolating. Self-isolation periods will begin on the day after exposure, a test or the start of symptoms.
You can find out more from the UK Chief Medical Officers' statement on GOV.UK.
