Stay safe when off to shops or pub this Bank Holiday weekend

People who are indulging in retail therapy or heading off to a beer garden this Bank Holiday Weekend are being urged to stay safe.

With more retailers now open following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions, people are reminded that face coverings are mandatory in shops, supermarkets, shopping centres and indoor markets, premises providing personal care and beauty treatments such as hairdressers, and public transport, unless they are exempt for any reason. For full details of when and where face coverings should be worn, and exemptions, please visit https://bit.ly/34xSC7t.

A face visor or shield may be worn in addition to a face covering, but not instead. This is because face visors or shields do not adequately cover the nose and mouth, and do not filter airborne particles as face coverings do.

Meanwhile, pubs and restaurants able to serve food and drink outside and customers should follow the rule of six or two households when meeting up with people they don't live with, and maintain social distancing of two metres from anyone who is not in their household or support bubble.

Face coverings should also be worn if people need to go into the pub or restaurant, for instance to order food and drink, to pay or to go to the toilet.

John Denley, Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health, said: "Businesses in Wolverhampton are working really hard to ensure shops, pubs and restaurants are safe and welcoming places for people to visit.

"The vast majority of customers are responding tremendously to the various measures which have been put in place, wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing and following one-way systems where required.

"It’s incredibly important that everybody continues to play their part in stopping the spread of the virus so, if you are off to the shops, remember to take not only your bags and your money, but also a face covering too. Respect your fellow shoppers and shop staff by wearing your face covering and keeping a safe distance from one another.

“And if you are off to the pub, please remember that you must maintain social distancing from people who are not in your household or support bubble.

“Wherever you are heading, take a bottle of hand gel with you or use hand sanitisers or handwashing facilities where available, and try to pay using contactless where you can as this reduces the possibility of transmitting the virus by handling coins or notes.

“If you are going to meet with extended family or friends, the best protection you can give them is by getting a rapid Covid-19 test first so you can be reassured you don't pose a risk to others.

“And please remember that you must continue to follow these guidelines even if you have had one or both your Covid-19 jabs.”

More information on rapid testing, including advice about how to take the test at home, is available at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus-testing.

Symptoms of Covid-19 include a fever, a new, continuous cough and loss or change to a person’s sense of taste and smell. To book a test, visit www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call 119.

The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus. For full details of restrictions currently in place, and the answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/covidalert.