New guidance for businesses on living with Covid

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has released the following.

The UK Health Security Agency has set out new public health principles for workplaces for businesses, organisations and employers in England to consider in managing the risk to their workforce from respiratory infections such as COVID-19. 

The new guidance sets out actions that businesses should follow to help reduce the spread of infections, including ensuring adequate ventilation and encouraging vaccinations. Whilst there is no longer an expectation that every employer will consider COVID-19 explicitly in their risk assessment, employers should continue to comply with their legal obligations to their staff. Further information is on GOV.UK.

Free COVID-19 tests are no longer available for the general public, but the Department for Health and Social Care has confirmed that tests will continue to be available to help protect specific groups including eligible patients and NHS and care staff.

Anyone with a positive COVID-19 test result is advised to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious.