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You are here: Home > Membership > About Visit Bristol Membership > COVID-19 – Resources for Businesses
COVID-19 – Resources for Businesses
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a rapidly changing situation with information changing on a daily basis.
In an effort to signpost information for our members and other businesses working in the tourism and hospitality industry, on this page you'll find helpful links to the most up to date information from the UK Government and key partners.
We anticipate that this information will be updated frequently so please check back regularly.
Last updated: 11:31, 14 April 2021
Jump to:
Government support for Businesses | Bristol City Council | Support and advice from VisitBritain |West of England Combined Authority | Local Information for Businesses | Public Health Information | Get in touch
Government Latest Updates
Update: Prime Minister announces roadmap for the easing of national lockdown restrictions, 22 February 2021
The government has published the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’, setting out the roadmap out of the current lockdown for England.
The roadmap is in four steps. Before proceeding to the next step, the Government will examine the data to assess the impact of previous steps. There will be a minimum of five weeks between each step: four weeks for the data to reflect changes in restrictions; followed by seven days’ notice of the restrictions to be eased, these dates are indicative, ‘no earlier than’ dates and are contingent on the data and subject to change.
As of 12 April 2021, we have reached step 1 and 2 of the roadmap out of lockdown.
Under current lockdown restrictions the below businesses and venues can open:
- Non-essential retail
- Personal care premises such as hairdressers, salons and close contact services
- Indoor and outdoor sports and leisure facilities, including gyms and spas
- Public buildings, including libraries and community centres
- Hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars open for outdoor service to serve customers in groups of up to six people or two households, at venues serving alcohol customers must order while seated
- Most outdoor attractions including zoos, theme parks, and drive-in performances (such as cinemas and concerts)
- Self-contained accommodation for domestic stays for use by members of the same household
- Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies, wakes and other commemorative events can take place indoors with up to 15 people attending (anyone working isn’t included in this limit), wedding receptions can take place outdoors for up to 15.
- Guided walks consisting of either a single permitted group or multiple permitted groups that are kept separate throughout the tour.
Full details on the current national lockdown restrictions can be found here.
Test and Trace Guidance has been updated to clarify the information that businesses need to collect and how to do this.
Important points to note:
- Venues must not make the specific use of the NHS QR code a precondition of entry - an individual has the right to provide their contact details if they prefer
- If you are a hospitality venue, you must refuse entry to any customer or visitor who chooses to neither provide their contact details nor scan the official NHS QR code
- Business need to be satisfied that individuals who say they have checked checking in using the official NHS QR code have done so – you may do this by asking the individual if they have scanned the code or ask to view the person’s check-in screen if you still have reason to believe they haven’t done so
- You must not use this data for any other purposes other than for NHS Test and Trace unless you would already collect it for another business purpose
Step 3 & 4 for the easing of national lockdown
Step 3, from 17 May
Most legal restrictions on outdoor meetings to be lifted, gatherings are limited to 30 people outdoors. Indoors people can meet socially in a group of 6 or with one other household.
Sectors to reopen:
- Indoor hospitality
- Remaining outdoor entertainment
- Indoor entertainment such as museums and cinemas
- All remaining accommodation
- Some large events, including conferences, theatre and concert performances and sports events. Indoor events limited to 50% capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is lower, outdoor limited to 50% or 4,000 people with some exceptions for large outdoor seated venues.
Step 4, from 21 June
With appropriate mitigations in place, by Step 4, the Government aims to remove all legal limits on social contact, reopen the remaining closed settings, including nightclubs and enable large events, including theatre performances, above the Step 3 capacity restrictions and remove all limits on weddings and other life events.
Government Guidance
Please check this regularly as guidance and available support is being updated on a daily basis.
- Visitor economy guidance
- Hotels and other guest accommodation guidance
- Food businesses guidance
- Performing arts industry guidance
- Guidance for people who are fit and well
- Guidance for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable
- Guidance for households with confirmed or possible coronavirus infection
Government Business Support
Find out more about the full range of business support measures available to UK businesses and employees.
- Chancellor announced £4.6 billion in new lockdown grants - businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000
- Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) - has been extended until 30 September 2021 with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, employers must contribute 10% in July and 20% in August and September.
- Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) - increased from 50% to 80% of average trading profits, fourth grant can be claimed from late April and the fifth and final from July
- Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme - the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will repay employers the Statutory Sick Pay paid to current or former employees
- Kickstart Scheme - funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit
- New Recovery Loan Scheme for UK businesses from 6 April to 31 December 2021 enables businesses of any size to access loans and other funding up to £10 million.
- Support of exisiting economic support - here is a comprehensive summary of the support on offer
- Rapid Workplace Testing If you have 10 or more employees, from early April you’ll be able to order tests for your employees to collect from their workplace and use at home twice a week. Registration ends 12 April 2021.
- VAT Deferral Payment Scheme - spreads repayment of VAT deferral across eleven payments.
Other Government Updates
- All travel corridors with the UK have been suspended, a pre-departure test is required on arrival followed by 10 days self-isolation in a government-approved facility
- Global Travel Taskforce recommendation report - report recognises the importance of international travel to the UK
- New Safer Working Materials from the Coronavirus Resource Centre - online resources to communicate the National Lockdown restrictions
Bristol City Council
Find out information from local government, including grants and funds, volunteer opportunities and FAQs.
- Restart Grant - up to £6,000 for non-essential retail businesses and up to £18,000 for hospitality, accommodation, leisure and personal care. Businesses who have received a grant payment since November, and are eligible for the Restart Grant, will automatically receive payment and do not need to apply again.
- Test and Trace Support Payments - grants of £500 are available to people in low paid employment or people who are unable to work from home and will lose income
- Information for businesses - details of the package of measures announced by government to support businesses through this period of disruption
- Business rate discount - 100% business rates relief extended until 30 June 2021, followed by 66% from 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2022
- Sign up to receive the council’s regular email - Bristol City Council has launched a regular email for businesses to help them through this uncertain time and beyond
Support and advice from VisitBritain / VisitEngland
Find specific information for tourism, hospitality and event businesses through VisitBritain and VisitEngland.
- Business advice hub - helping your tourism business to grow, with practical tips, legal obligations and local support
- Latest information on COVID-19 - latest tourism-related news and information for UK tourism businesses on the outbreak of COVID-19
- We're Good To Go - the official UK mark to signal adherance to COVID-19 guidlines. Businesses already registered are eligable for the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) international ‘Safe Travels’ stamp.
Support and advice from West of England Combined Authority
- West of England Growth Hub - hub to support small and medium-sized enterprises access Government support, as well as providing other help and guidance
- Green Business Grants - West of England Green Business Grants support small to medium sized businesses and enterprises to improve their energy efficiency
- Cultural and Creative Business Support Programme - Grants and support available for creative freelancers and creative businesses to fund projects, employ freelance creatives, engage local communities and advance diversity and inclusion.
Wellbeing in the Workplace
Many people are struggling not only with the restrictions but also the added stress of working from home whilst finding a work-life balance. However, there are many mental health support tools available, and we want to make sure as many people as possible are using these resources.
Business Toolkits
- Wellbeing resources from Business in the Community
- Thrive at Work from WECA
- Mental Health resources from Mental Health at Work
Individual Mental Health Support
Local Information for Businesses
More local information for businesses including business information and advice, travel information and news.
- Bristol City Centre BID - COVID-19 information and news page for Bristol BID levy payers and stakeholders
- 24 Hour Bristol - The 24 Hour Bristol Commission is the voice of Bristol’s 24 hour economy and represents the night-time, high street and leisure industries
- Business West - trading through coronavirus hub page
- Travelwest - latest information and advice on travel around Bristol
- Business in the Community - has launched the National Business Response Network to identify needs across the UK and match them to the right business support
Links to other local authority information:
- South Gloucestershire Council
- North Somerset Council
- Bath and North East Somerset Council
- Somerset County Council
Public Health Information
- NHS advice - find out how to protect yourself from the virus on the NHS website.
- Public Health England - coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance
Get in touch
Our team are currently still working from home, but we're still here to support you in any way we can. Please continue to get in touch via email or social media - we'd love to hear from you. If you have any specific questions about your membership or have any other business concerns, please get in touch with Faye Batchelor on faye.batchelor@visitbristol.co.uk.
Please follow us on LinkedIn, where we will be sharing regular updates.
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