What does Level 1 in Wales mean for Hospitality?

Wales moved into full alert level 1 from Saturday 17 July 2021. They recognise the importance of what is happening in other parts of the UK and are working very closely with the other nations; however, it is important to understand that the rules in Wales are different. Wales hope to move to level 0 on the 7th of August.  

Here is an overview of what level 1 means for you:  

Social distancing – no change – businesses are legally required to take reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing indoors and may include measure for physical distancing outdoors 

Face coverings – no change – Face coverings must be worn at all times when moving about the premises. This includes whist going to the toilets, playing pool, snooker or darts etc. You can, however, remove your face covering whilst seated at your table. 

Events – outdoors – change – From Saturday 17 July there are no longer any restrictions in place when gathering anywhere outdoors, including in private gardens, public parks and beaches, outdoor areas of regulated premises or for outdoor activities and events. 

The organiser of the activity also have a legal duty to undertake a covid specific risk assessment and take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to and spread of coronavirus. The risk assessment must also consider ‘pinch point’ areas, such as, queuing to enter or exit the venue, toilets, food and beverage sales points and consider suitable mitigations, including physical distancing measures in these areas. 

Businesses and premises will still be required to consider putting in place social distancing for different groups and/or for face-coverings being worn in all or some specific areas as part of their risk management regime. The risk assessment and mitigating reasonable measures these venues and premises may need to implement will determine if and where this may be the case. You should always co-operate with any social distancing, handwashing or other measures that are in place for your own safety and that of others. 

Indoors – You can visit indoor hospitality venues such as cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars with people you live with or in a group of up to six people from up to six households (not including children under 11 from any of these households or carers of anyone present). This group of six isn’t required by law to socially distance from each other. However, you should maintain social distancing from others in the venue who are not in your household or your group of six. 

If you visit hospitality venues indoors with people you do not live with, but who are part of your extended household, that gathering must include no more than six people from up to six households at any one time (not including children under 11 from any of these households or carers of anyone present). 

Events – Indoors – If an organised event is taking place indoors, the maximum number of people that can take part is 200 standing and 1,000 seated (unless it is one for the development or well-being of children).. Maximums numbers will be determined by a risk assessment which includes taking reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to and spread of coronavirus. Reasonable measures must also include ensuring social distancing can be maintained between individual households or groups of six (as the case may be). 

Events – private gardens / land  – Activities or events that are organised or planned by an individual (such as a couple getting married, friend or parent), including celebrations or wider social gatherings of families and friends indoors, must follow the arrangements for gathering with other people, which is limited to members of an individual household, extended household or up to six people from up to six households (not including children under 11 or carers of these households) in private dwellings.   

If you wish to gather with more people to celebrate or socialise indoors, you can only do so in a regulated premises. The business must then complete a risk assessment and take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to and spread of coronavirus. Reasonable measure must include ensuring that social distancing is maintained between individual households or groups of six people and any others not in these permitted groups during the activity or event. 

Self-isolation – no change  – Self-isolation is where you stay home and limit all unnecessary contact with others outside of your household if you have coronavirus symptoms or have tested positive for coronavirus. This includes not going to work outside your home. This is to ensure people who have coronavirus symptoms (and are awaiting test results), or who have already tested positive for COVID-19 prevent passing it on to their friends, family and wider community, including their work colleagues. 

People who have tested positive or have come in to close contact with someone who has had a positive test for coronavirus are required by law to self-isolate for 10 days when told to do so by NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect. This notification will come through a phone call, text message or email. Failure to do so can lead to you being issued a fixed penalty notice or criminal prosecution. 

We also strongly advise you to self-isolate if you are notified through the NHS COVID-19 app that you should do so. However, there is no legal duty to do so because the privacy and anonymity protections on the app mean that it does not collect any personal details. 

We also strongly advise you that if you have symptoms of COVID-19, however mild, you should follow the general self-isolation guidance and should arrange to have a test (although again this is not covered by the legal duty). 

I have tested positive for coronavirus. How long do I need to self-isolate for? 

If you test positive for coronavirus and you know when your symptoms started, you need to self-isolate until at least 10 days have passed from the day you reported you symptoms. 

But if you test positive for coronavirus and you cannot tell contact tracers when your symptoms started, or you have not had symptoms, then you must self-isolate until 10 days has elapsed since your test. Read the full self-isolation guidance. 

I haven’t tested positive for coronavirus, but I have been told by contact tracers to self-isolate. How long do I need to self-isolate for? 

You will need to self-isolate for 10 days. 

If you do not live with the person who has tested positive for coronavirus, the 10 days starts from when you last had close contact with them. Contact tracers should advise you of what is required. 

If you do live with the person who has tested positive for coronavirus, the 10 days starts on the day they reported their symptoms. Or, if they have not displayed any symptoms, the 10 days starts from the time of their test. 

When a contact tracer calls you, they will also advise you to book a PCR test as soon as possible, and again on day 8. Testing of asymptomatic contacts provides further opportunities to identify more index cases and their close contacts that would otherwise be unknown to TTP, helping to further break chains of transmission. 

Taking a test is not an alternative to self-isolating. If the tests are negative, you will still need to self-isolate for the full 10 day period because it can take up to 10 days or more for symptoms to develop, or for the virus to appear in your system. 

If any of the test results (immediate test or day 8 test) come back positive, you will start a new 10 day period of self-isolation from the day you took your test. 

Financial support:  

A further package of support has been announced, targeted at businesses that continue to be materially affected by Covid-19 restrictions on their operations and will provide emergency and transition grants of up to £25k to eligible businesses to help meet their operating costs (excluding staff wages) for the period 1 July 2021 and 31 August 2021.  

The Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) will support businesses that are either: 

1. Forced to remain closed or unable to trade by on-going restrictions between 1st July 2021 and 31st August 2021. 

1. Event space and attractions severely impacted by ongoing social distancing regulations. 

1. Other businesses which were unable to open indoors before 17 May 2021, with >60% impact on turnover as a result of ongoing restrictions. 

1. A supply chain business that generates 60% or more of its sales revenue from businesses falling into categories a), b) and/or c). 

And (applies to all): 

1. Have experienced a severe impact through reduced turnover of 60% or more in July and August 2021 as compared to July and August 2019 caused directly by on-going COVID-19 restrictions. 

The scheme will be delivered in partnership with local authorities. The Welsh Government delivering the grant support for businesses with an annual turnover of above £85k and Local Authorities for businesses with an annual turnover below £85k. 

An eligibility checker detailing how much businesses with be eligible to apply for and details on how to apply was made available on the Business Wales website from 12pm on 5 July. 

Eligible businesses will need to submit a simple online application and declaration to apply even if they have received funding through previous rounds of ERF. The eligibility checker will direct businesses to the right place to make their application. 

The application stage opened on 13 July and will remain open until 12pm Tuesday 27 July. 

This will be the final package of emergency support for those that are able to trade, unless the pandemic causes us to re-introduce closures or very significant trading restrictions. 

To apply click here: https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/  

To read all of the level 1 guidance, click here https://gov.wales/restrictions-from-17-July