Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Businesses and Employers Bulletin 23 May 2020

This information has been provided by the DWP

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Businesses and Employers Bulletin - 23 May 2020

This bulletin is issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and provides the latest information for employers and businesses on coronavirus (COVID-19). All coronavirus business support information can be found at gov.uk/business-support

• New public health measures for all UK arrivals at the UK border
• UK Government webinars
• New Updates and Guidance
• Requests for Business Intelligence and Assistance

New public health measures for all UK arrivals at the UK border

New measures, at the UK border to guard against a second wave of coronavirus infections have been announced by the Home Secretary on Friday 22 May. You can view the full press notice here. These measures are due to come into effect on 8 June 2020. They include 14 days self-isolation for anyone entering the UK, bar a short list of exemptions. The full list is available on GOV.UK and include:

• road haulage and freight workers, to ensure the supply of goods is not impacted;
• medical professionals who are travelling to help with the fight against coronavirus;
• Anyone moving from within the Common Travel Area, covering Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man;
• Seasonal Agricultural Workers who will self-isolate on the property where they are working

The Home Office has been working closely with industry partners ahead of announcing these changes. The changes will be subject to review every three weeks, to ensure they are in line with the latest scientific evidence and remain effective and necessary.

The measures outlined by the Home Secretary include:

• Contact locator form – All arriving passengers will be required to fill this in to provide contact and travel information so they can be contacted if they, or someone they may have been in contact with, develops the disease.
• Self-isolation - Passengers arriving in the UK will be required to self-isolate for 14 days and could be contacted regularly throughout this period to ensure compliance.
• Enforcement - Anyone failing to comply with the mandatory conditions may face enforcement action. A breach of self-isolation would be punishable with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice in England or potential prosecution and unlimited fine. The level of fine could increase if the risk of infection from abroad increases. The Devolved Administrations will set out their own enforcement approaches.

Spot checks - Border Force will undertake checks at the border and may refuse entry to any non-British citizen who refuses to comply with these regulations and is not resident in the UK. Failure to complete the form is also punishable by a £100 fixed penalty notice. Public health authorities will conduct random checks in England to ensure compliance with self-isolation requirements. Removal from the country would be considered as a last resort for foreign nationals who refuse to comply with these public health measures.