Businesses and venues

All businesses and venues, including nightclubs and adult entertainment venues, are able to open. All capacity limits at sporting, entertainment, or business events have been lifted.

Hospitality venues such as pubs, restaurants and bars are no longer required to provide table service or follow other social distancing rules.

All businesses should follow the principles set out in the working safely guidance.

Employers still have a legal duty to manage risks to those affected by their business. The way to do this is to carry out a health and safety risk assessment, including the risk of COVID-19, and to take reasonable steps to mitigate the risks you identify. The working safely guidance sets out a range of mitigations employers should consider including:

• identifying poorly ventilated areas in the venue, for example by using a CO2 monitor, and taking steps to improve air flow in these areas
• ensuring that staff and customers who are unwell do not attend the workplace or venue
• providing hand sanitiser to enable staff and customers to clean their hands more frequently, and cleaning surfaces that people touch regularly
• communicating to staff and customers the measures you have put in place

On the 13th December, the public was told they should work from home if they can.

Businesses are also encouraged to continue displaying NHS QR codes for attendees wishing to check in using the NHS COVID-19 app so they are alerted if there’s an outbreak and can take action to protect others, however this is no longer a legal requirement.

To enter certain venues and events in England from the 15th of December you must have proof of one of the following:

• you are vaccinated with 2 doses of an approved vaccine (or one of the single-dose Janssen vaccine) – we will keep this under review as boosters are rolled out (NHS COVID Pass)
• you have completed a negative PCR test or negative rapid lateral flow test within the past 48 hours
• you are exempt from vaccination or vaccination and testing on the basis of a medical exemption or clinical trial participation

You should take tests as late as possible before attending the event, ideally within 12 hours. This will strengthen the protection testing provides.