COVID-19 Bradford District businesses – your latest questions answered

A  fact sheet has been developed answering a number of questions related to localised restrictions. The full document can be found here COVID-19 Bradford District businesses – your latest questions answered

The document contains the following information:

If certain areas/wards of Bradford District have high rates can we still go to work there?
The Government guidance for districts like ours which are currently under local restrictions asks that people continue to work from home if their jobs allow them to.
It also says that people are allowed to travel in and out of the area to go to work. The usual COVID precautions should be followed:
: Frequent handwashing or hand sanitising
: Keeping 2 metres (3 steps) apart from people
: Wearing a face covering anywhere it is required, such as in a shop and on public transport, and where you cannot be 2 metres apart

Those who have a health condition like diabetes, asthma or another serious health condition may be at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19, and should not leave
their home at all. Shielding in this way is about protecting these vulnerable people by cutting down on the amount of contact they have with other people. More information
about shielding, and the support that is available, can be found here 

If colleagues live outside Bradford District, should they avoid coming into the district?
While the current Government guidance for our district encourages people continue to work from home if their jobs allow them to, it is clear that people are allowed to travel in and out
of the area to go to work.
Again, these key infection prevention steps should be taken:
: Frequent handwashing or sanitising
: Keeping 2 metres (3 steps) apart from people
: Wearing a face covering anywhere it is required, such as in a shop or on public transport, and where you cannot be 2 metres apart

For those with an underlying health condition, please refer to the information and website
link above about the importance of shielding.

What about making deliveries in those areas – do parcel carriers etc have to take additional precautions? If so, what are they? Or do we avoid delivering there?

Deliveries can continue with the level of preventive measures that have been introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as:
: Staying 2 metres (3 steps) apart by putting parcels down, stepping back
: Wearing a face covering in shops, shopping centres and in other enclosed spaces or busy streets where it is not possible to be 2 metres apart
: Hand sanitising after touching high-use surfaces such as door handles and doorbells

Who do we contact to ask about getting colleagues tested if our business is based in an area where the level is high?

We advise anyone with symptoms (such as a high temperature, a new persistent cough, or a loss or change to sense of taste or smell) to book a test at a local testing centre in Bradford District via the NHS website www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119 if they cannot get online.

Can we ask for a test before people show signs of illness?

Currently, you can arrange a test through www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119:
: For yourself, if you have coronavirus symptoms now (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste)
: For someone you live with, if they have symptoms
: If you have been told to have a test before you go into hospital, for example, for surgery
: If your local council asks you to get a test

Alternatively if you’re living in one of the high-risk Bradford District postcodes from next week, you’ll start getting a leaflet through the door saying a test will be delivered to your home, or you can order one via the council’s 431000 number

Could we distribute tests at work as some people are being sent them to their homes?
Currently, we do not have a supply of tests from Government that we can distribute to workplaces. Where two or more cases of COVID-19 are identified in a setting, our team of public health and environmental health experts will assess whether workplace testing is required, and how this will be carried out. We would encourage all workplaces to take all the necessary precautions to be COVID-secure, including carrying out a risk assessment to ensure it is keeping its workers as safe as possible.

Will some businesses be asked to cease trading during a spike? If so, how much notice will be given?
In the event that cases are linked to a particular business or type of business, it is possible that they could be instructed to stop trading face-to-face for a period of time. Or, if certain categories of business appear likely to increase the risk of COVID-19 being transmitted, they could be asked to do likewise. This could be at very short notice, in order to respond to a change in circumstances such as increase in our infection rate, or a rise in the percentage of our tests that are positive.

Will there be any compensation for loss of business?
There has not been any Government announcement of compensation for businesses instructed to close down. Bradford Council has asked Government whether unclaimed monies from business grant schemes can be used for this purpose. If they cannot, the funds will be returned to central Government.

Will there be any announcements about which shops, businesses, bars and restaurants will be required to close?
If further business closures are announced, we will communicate guidance from Government as rapidly as we can through a variety of channels:
: Business support pages of the Bradford Council website: https://bit.ly/31X0eOt
: Stay Connected alerts to businesses (you can sign up via the link above)
: Social media
: Business partners, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Yorkshire Asian Business Association, and the Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) for Bradford, Keighley and Ilkley.

Is there a “sheet” of FAQs with telephone numbers, email addresses and websites to check for information?
Please head to our website for all the latest updates and information – from health advice, to what you can, and cannot, do under current restrictions; from all our testing centre locations and opening hours, to support for unemployed people. It also houses a raft of business information for different sectors and settings, FAQs on key issues, and advice on how to reopen safely. You can access it here