UK publishes guidance for employers to reopen businesses cautiously amid pandemic

The United Kingdom has published guidance on a range of businesses advising employers on how to cautiously reopen the economy as death rate witnessed a decline. The business department emphasised that employees should work from home if possible and highlighted that wearing a face mask is optional and is not required by law.

It also advised employers not to encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect against COVID-19 outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus. The guidance has limited food and drinks outlets to remain as only takeaway service.

Business Minister Alok Sharma shared the guidance on social media saying it will help employers to get their businesses up and running with safety measures. The guidance has been issued for businesses that are currently open and those that might reopen in a phased manner from June 1. The guidance for other sectors will be published later.

Britain has reported over 223,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 32,000 deaths related to the infection. It has third-highest coronavirus cases worldwide, behind the United States and Spain, and second-highest death toll related to COVID-19, only after the US.

Read: UK PM Johnson Launches New COVID-19 Alert System As Lockdown Rules 'modified'

Conditional plan

Earlier, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed the “conditional plan” to reopen the country during his address to the nation on May 10. Stating the top priority to protect the UK’s public health services (NHS), the British PM has said that the country “cannot move forward” unless the five tests proposed by the government are satisfied.

Johnson declared that the people who were having trouble in working remotely like the ones working in manufacturing or construction industry can resume work in their office spaces but are advised to avoid public transport to maintain physical distancing. The British PM stressed that the "Covid Alert System" will determine the extent of lockdown, hoping that next step involving students to return to schools will be reached at the earliest by June 1.

Read: Boris Johnson Reveals 'conditional Plan' To Reopen UK Amid COVID-19 Scare

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(Image credit: AP)