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Fish Friers

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) - OVERVIEW

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.

Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms

Stay at home for 7 days if you have either:

  • high temperature
  • a new, continuous cough

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home.

Read our advice about staying at home.

 

Urgent advice: Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

  • you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
  • your condition gets worse
  • your symptoms do not get better after 7 days

Use the 111 coronavirus service. Only call 111 if you cannot get help online.

 

How coronavirus is spread

Because it's a new illness, we do not know exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person.

Similar viruses are spread in cough droplets. It's very unlikely it can be spread through things like packages or food.

How to avoid catching or spreading coronavirus

Do

  • wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
  • always wash your hands when you get home or into work
  • use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
  • cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
  • put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
  • try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell

Don't

  • do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

 

Treatment for coronavirus

There is currently no specific treatment for coronavirus.

Antibiotics do not help, as they do not work against viruses.

Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness.

You'll need to stay in isolation, away from other people, until you have recovered.

USEFUL DOCUMENTS

Discretionary Grants Fund - Letter Template - 07/01/2021 - CLICK HERE 

GOV - HMRC EMPLOYER BULLETIN - 18/06/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOV - UPDATES TO LEGIONNAIRES' DISEASE: NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE SCHEME - 03/06/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOV - WORKING SAFELY DURING CORONAVIRUS - 11/05/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOV - OUR PLAN TO REBUILD - 11/05/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOV - BOUNCE BACK LOAN - 27/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOV - FURLOUGH WORKERS TO RECIEVE FULL PARENTAL LEAVE ENTITLEMENTS - 27/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOV - NEW MEASURES TO PROTECT RENTERS - 27/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - NFFF UPDATE - 22/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOV - BUSINESS SUPPORT FINDER - 21/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - JOB RETENTION SCHEME - STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO MAKE A CLAIM - 20/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - JOB RETENTION SCHEME - UPDATE- 16/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE FOR SHOPS RUNNING A PICK UP OR DELIVERY SERVICE - 09/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES - INDUSTRY REMINDER - 03/04/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - GOV - GUIDANCE FOR APPRENTICES - 30/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - SUPPORT FOR TAKEAWAYS AND RESTAURANTS - UPDATED - 27/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

FURLOUGHING INFORMATION - 27/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

FURLOUGHING EMPLOYEES - WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR EMPLOYERS - 25/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE - FURTHER BUSINESS AND PREMISES CLOSURE - 23/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - OPERATOR BRIEFING - UPDATED 22/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - GOV - SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES - 20/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

EXPANDED RETAIL DISCOUNT GUIDANCE - 19/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

JUST EAT - £10M SUPPORT PACKAGE FOR RESTAURANT PARTNERS - 19/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES FISCAL MEASURES TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS - 18/03/2020 - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - KEEPINGSAFE - CLICK HERE 

CORONAVIRUS - EMPLOYEE BRIEFING - CLICK HERE 

ACAS - LAY OFF AND SHORT TIME WORKING - CLICK HERE 

FURLOUGHING EMPLOYEES - NOTICE LETTER (1) - CLICK HERE 

FURLOUGHING EMPLOYEES - NOTICE LETTER (2) - CLICK HERE 

FURLOUGHING EMPLOYEES - NOTICE LETTER (3) - CLICK HERE 

NFFF FINANCE - SUPPORTING LETTER - CLICK HERE 

Latest updates

Guidance for shops running a pick up or delivery service - Last updated - 9th April 2020

Full guidance can be found at the following link - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/social-distancing-in-the-workplace-during-coronavirus-covid-19-sector-guidance#shops-running-a-pick-up-or-delivery-service

Key notes

Shops running a pick-up or delivery service

You should ensure that no orders are taken in person on the premises. You should only take orders online or by telephone and communicate this to customers by clear signage in store and online.

The advice on social distancing measures applies to everyone and you should take steps to avoid crowding and minimise opportunities for the virus to spread by maintaining a distance of 2 metres between individuals, wherever possible.

Collections

Where customers are collecting items, they should have staggered collection times. When customers whose orders are ready enter, they should enter one at a time to collect orders and make payments, maintaining a safe distance.

Where queuing is taking place, you should use queue management systems to maintain a safe distance.

Deliveries

For retailers or restaurants running a delivery service, you should advise all delivery drivers that no goods or food should be physically handed over to the customer. There should instead be a set drop-off point agreed in advance.

After ringing the doorbell, the driver should maintain a safe distance from the door and oversee the delivery of the goods. The goods should not be left unattended.

You should introduce a way for customers to be able to notify your business that they are in self-isolation or are unwell in advance of the delivery, in which case these guidelines should be very strictly followed. The driver should not enter the customer’s property.

To minimise the risk that a customer does not answer the door, sensible steps such as setting an approximate delivery time and gaining a contact number should be taken.

You should advise drivers to wash their hands using soap and water for 20 seconds as regularly as possible, and drivers should be given hand-sanitiser to be carried at all times and used after each delivery.

To protect your staff, you should remind colleagues and drivers daily to only come into work if they are well and no one in their household is self-isolating.

NFFF – Coronavirus Update - Friday 3rd April 2020

GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES - INDUSTRY REMINDER

The NFFF are encouraged that some shops are testing getting operations open whilst adhering to the strict social distancing that is required for employees too, but we all must realise that there won’t be a one size fits all solution.  Safely operating may come easier to the smaller, family run shops, where they all live in the same household but unfortunately the larger shops, who must employ staff, may struggle to maintain the safety guideline whilst generating enough business to make it viable.

We have some members who are confused as to what the latest government advice is, we have extracted the points below, which we feel are important to our industry and will help you to decide if you can continue to trade at the moment.  As the death toll continues to rise it is likely that public opinion may turn against shops that do not follow the guidelines and we have heard of police closing businesses down for breaking the rules.

FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, AND FOR THAT OF YOUR STAFF AND CUSTOMERS PLEASE REMEMBER - ONLY OPERATE IF YOU CAN MEET ALL OF THESE STRICT CRITERIA

  • Everybody, including your workers, must maintain a 2m social distance.
  • No orders should be taken in person.
  • Online and telephone orders only.
  • Staggered collection times.
  • No waiting for orders in the shop.
  • Only one customer can enter at a time to collect pre orders.
  • Businesses should discourage crowding.

The overall message is for everyone to STAY AT HOME unless it is essential.

If you are operating contact free deliveries, please ensure your drivers have the correct insurance as police are performing random stops.

If offering a collection service, it is advisable to ask customers to open their car boot if possible and place deliveries in there.

ABOVE ALL PROTECT YOUR CUSTOMERS AND YOUR TEAM AT ALL TIMES

THANK YOU TO ALL FISH AND CHIPS SHOPS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS.

BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE INDUSTRY IS PROTECTED.

 For the latest Government advice please click here 

Coronavirus Update - 20th March 18:00

Following the latest COVID-19 press conference Prime Minster Boris Johnson and the Chancellor Rishi Sunak have provided the following update.

A summary of the further measures announced at this afternoon’s conference is included below in full.

Health measures

  • Cafes, pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants, gyms, indoor leisure centres and theatres to close this evening and not reopen for the foreseeable future
    • Closures to be reviewed on a month by month basis, with establishment to be continued to allowed to offer takeaway options
    • England's deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries clarified that closures would apply to all establishments where people gathered for “social opportunities”. Further specific guidance would be published imminently.

Economic support measures

  • Coronavirus job retention scheme: Available for all businesses. Government to pay 80% of wages for furloughed employees (kept on the books, but via a leave of absence) up to £2,500 per month with employer top ups beyond that welcome.
    • Backdated to March 1st – initially for a  3 month period, which can be extended if necessary
    • No limit on the scheme. Grants to support as many jobs as necessary
    • Scheme aims to be up and running in the next few weeks, with the first payments made by the end of April
  • Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme: Interest free period extended to 12 months. Loans for businesses confirmed to be available from Monday
  • VAT: Next quarter of VAT payments deferred with no businesses paying VAT until June. Estimated cost of £30 billion, or 1.5% of GDP
  • Strengthened safety net: £7 billion investment in the welfare system, increasing Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element by £1000 each per year  
    • Suspending minimum income floor for Universal Credit, to give the self-employed access to the credit up to the level of Statuary Sick Pay
    • Self- employed self-assessment payments deferred to 2021
  • £1 billion of support for renters: Increasing the generosity of housing benefit and universal credit, so that the Local Housing Allowance will cover at least 30% of market rents in your area.
  • National advertising campaign: To publicise business support measures

Coronavirus: Chancellor unveils £330bn lifeline for economy - 17th March 2020 20:00

Measures to support business

  • £330bn of Government-backed loans: the Government announced two measures to allow businesses access to cheap credit to support their cash flows
  • For large businesses, the Government had agreed a new lending facility with the Bank of England to allow businesses access to low-cost commercial paper.
  • For small business, the Government will extend the Business Interruption Loan Scheme announced at the Budget to provide loans of up to £5m with no interest payable in the first 6 months.
  • The Chancellor also said he would utilise legal powers in the Covid-19 Bill currently passing through Parliament to offer whatever financial support would become necessary throughout the pandemic.
  • Measures for hospitality, leisure and retail sectors: The Government announced that for businesses in these sectors it would:
  • Cut business rates to zero for all businesses in this sector, regardless of the rateable value of their properties for the remainder of the year
  • For small businesses with a rateable value of less than £51,000, the Government will also offer cash grants of up to £25,000 per business on top of the business rates holiday they received at the Budget.
  • It also made clear that for businesses with insurance against pandemics, the Government’s actions were sufficient for those businesses to make a claim against their insurers.
  • Cash grants: the Government will extend the cash grants announced at the Budget for the UK’s 700,000 smallest businesses to up to £10,000, delivered through local authorities to help with cash flow issues
  • Support for airlines and airports: the Chancellor will work with the Transport Secretary to provide a specific package to support the air travel industry in the coming days.
  • Industry roundtables: Sunak has asked his Cabinet colleagues to “urgently convene” meetings with business leaders and representatives in the most affected sectors, to identify other specific opportunities to support them and their industries, including possible regulatory forbearance.
  • Measures to support individuals
  • Mortgage holiday: the Government has agreed with the mortgage industry that borrowers impacted by COVID-19 will be granted a holiday on payments of 3 months.
  • Employment support: the Government will work with business and trade unions over the coming days to develop a new form of employment support. We would expect further announcements to be made on these issues shortly.

Thank you to our colleagues at the Secretariat of the British Takeaway Campaign for compiling this information.

For more on this story simply click here

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