Chloe Smith
MP for Norwich North
 
Jul
2

Update for Norwich North: Businesses reopening from 4 July

Author: Chloe Smith, Updated: 02 July 2020 11:20

From this Saturday, pubs, restaurants and hairdressers in Norwich will be able to reopen, providing they adhere to Covid Secure guidelines. 

 

This is an important step to getting back to normal and recovering from what I know has been a very challenging time for businesses in Norwich.  It is great we can visit our local businesses again, while following social distancing guidelines. 

 

All businesses and venues can reopen from 4 July, except for the list below, which must remain closed:

  • Nightclubs
  • Casinos
  • Bowling alleys and Indoor skating rinks
  • Indoor play areas including soft-play
  • Spas
  • Nail bars, beauty salons and tanning salons
  • Massage, tattoo and piercing parlours
  • Indoor fitness and dance studios, and indoor gyms and sports venues/facilities
  • Swimming pools including water parks
  • Exhibition or conference centres must remain closed for events such as exhibitions or conferences, other than for those who work for the business or organisation who run the venue.

I do understand that some people will have questions about why some types of business can open while others must remain closed.  I have been in contact with Ministers and they are working hard with industry leaders to open up as many types of venue as possible. For the moment, the businesses listed above are thought to present a higher probability of coronavirus transmission and for this reason have to remain shut.

 

The Government is also working with the arts industry on specific guidance to enable choirs, orchestras and theatres to resume live performances as soon as possible. 


For our nail bars, beauty salons and tanning salons, guidelines have been published to help them prepare for when they can re-open. The guidance will support salons to hit the ground running when they are allowed to startup again. It can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/close-contact-services. 


I hope the lessons learned from pubs, restaurants and hairdressers opening will allow more places to open again too.  I certainly want to see all businesses in Norwich thriving once more as soon as possible.

The Government is keeping the list of places which must remain shut under constant review. The Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, has recently said that he hopes to open up gyms and leisure facilities in July.  

 

The opening up of the economy is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. Under this new system, anyone who receives a positive test for coronavirus will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will need to share information about their recent interactions with colleagues, friends and family. Anyone identified as having been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus must stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not show symptoms, to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus. 

 

We can all support NHS Test and Trace keep us safe by giving our contact details to the pubs and restaurants we visit. This will help contain any clusters or outbreaks of the virus. 

 

 

If this is of interest, you can read further details on my blog here: 

https://www.chloesmith.org.uk/local/news/covid-19-update-test-and-trace

 

Guidance for business 

 

The Government has published detailed guidelines to support businesses to open safely: 

 

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