Dear All,
Detailed below is the Weekly News and Covid Update for 12th July. See at the end of the news a kind invitation to attend the UK Flour Millers webinar The Demand for Flour – Friday 16 July, 2.00 to 3.00pm.
As you are aware the government is reducing all covid restrictions on next Monday 19th July. There is still some confusion on what guidance will remain in place and/or what guidance will be revised. What is clear is that the ‘emergency’ legislation which was the basis of the regulations will fall. On various calls with government over the last couple of weeks it is suggested guidance will be available but with perhaps an emphasis on businesses returning to work rather than for those who have always been operating but under clear covid guidelines.
The emphasis is on an individual’s own risk assessment and each businesses own risk assessment. Calls from members suggest that many if not all food businesses will not be making any immediate changes to how they are presently operating.
It is expected HSE will be responsible for making inspections based on your own risk assessments.
Detailed below are two government announcements from the Cabinet Office and Defra.
As more information/guidance becomes available I will circulate it immediately. We have a covid catch up call on Thursday at 3pm.
Government Communication-Cabinet Office (1) The Prime Minister has announced that Step 4 of the Roadmap out of COVID-19 legal restrictions in England will go ahead on Monday 19 July.
On 19 July, most legal restrictions will end, removing social distancing and social contact restrictions and enabling remaining businesses to reopen.
Step 4 will mark a new phase of continued caution, whilst managing the risks of COVID-19, in our response to the pandemic.
So, we must remain vigilant as COVID-19 has not gone away.
By practising key behaviours we can continue to protect ourselves and others and help stop the virus spreading.
If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, however mild, you should get a PCR test and must self-isolate if you test positive or if you are told to by NHS Test and Trace.
We will get our nation closer to normal life, by moving away from stringent legal restrictions on people’s day-to-day lives, towards providing advice on how people can protect themselves and others.
As restrictions will be eased following the move to Step 4 of the Roadmap, the Government will be advising clinically extremely vulnerable people, as a minimum, to follow the same guidance as everyone else, but extremely vulnerable people may wish to think particularly carefully about additional precautions they may wish to take, to lower their risk of infection.
The month-long delay in Step 4 has allowed a further seven million vaccines to be given to adults in the UK.
We can only remove legal measures to tackle COVID-19 due to the success of the UK’s vaccine programme which has resulted in a significant reduction in the link between infections and severe disease and deaths.
More than 80 million vaccine doses have now been given to people in the UK with 45.7 million adults receiving a first dose (86.9%) and 34.5 million adults receiving both doses (65.6%).
However, the pandemic is not over. Cases are rising so we must proceed with caution and take measures to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
This includes wearing face coverings in crowded indoor places like public transport, unless we are unable to for health reasons.
After Step 4, the Government will continue to manage the risk of serious illness from the spread of the virus.
The Government has a five point plan to reduce the risk:
- Reinforce the country’s vaccine wall of defence through booster jabs and driving take up.
- Enable the public to make informed decisions through guidance, rather than laws.
- Retain proportionate test, trace and isolate plans in line with international comparators.
- Manage risks at the border and support a global response to reduce the risk of variants emerging globally and entering the UK.
- Retain contingency measures to respond to unexpected events, while accepting that further cases, hospitalisations and deaths will occur as the country learns to live with COVID-19.
Before we move to Step 4, current guidance on meeting and greeting friends and family remains in place.
Please encourage people in your community to:
- think Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air
- take part in free, regular, rapid COVID-19 testing
- come forward for their vaccination when it is offered.
Ensuring these protections are a part of our everyday behaviours will control transmission of the virus as we return to a more normal life.
Get in touch with us if you need more information, with questions or comments, via cv19-externalaffairs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
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