Businesses in Cornwall are being offered advice and support on reopening and returning to work safely after the lockdown.

As the Government gradually lifts lockdown measures for certain businesses, Cornwall Council has published a Back in Business Recovery Guide to help businesses get back on their feet after the COVID-19 closures, while ensuring the safety of staff, customers and visitors.

The Council is also offering a series of free, question and answer webinars for different sectors to get more information on reopening and operating businesses safely.

The first webinar is aimed at Food businesses and is scheduled for Wednesday June 3.

The second on June 17 is for Holiday accommodation and tourism sector businesses.

The hour-long webinars are hosted by a panel of experts who can answer questions on a range of regulatory matters covering Coronavirus safety, fire safety, health and safety, contractual terms and conditions and food safety.

The Back in Business online guide is aimed at small to medium sized businesses in the leisure, office, care and retail sectors and covers:

• Working safely and limiting the risk of Coronavirus

• Cleaning and disinfection

• Food safety and reopening safely

• Structure and maintenance

• Health and safety and how to plan for reopening

• Fire safety

Rob Nolan, Cornwall’s portfolio holder for environment and public protection, said: ’Reopening for work safely is the big challenge facing businesses across Cornwall now.

’With our new Back to Business guide and accompanying webinars we are working to ensure that firms get the support and advice they need to get up and working again as safely as possible and minimise the risks from COVID-19. It will also help to build business, employee and consumer confidence as we start to reopen after the lockdown.

’The online guide pulls together a lot of useful information for business in one place and will reflect all up-to-date legislation with the easing of emergency measures. If you have any specific questions, please do get in touch.’

Most businesses in Cornwall have been closed since the start of the lockdown at the end of March.

Garden centres and homeware stores have been allowed to reopen this month, and outdoor markets and car showrooms are permitted to reopen from next Monday, June 1.

Non-essential retailers, such as clothes shops, can reopen from June 15 while hairdressers, nail bars, beauty salons and the hospitality sector remain closed until at least July 4.

Here is a link to the Back in Business guide: https://www.businessregulatorysupport.co.uk/recovery.

For further guidance on reopening a business safely, please email [email protected] or visit Cornwall Council’s business regulatory support website or leave a message on 0300 1234 212 (option 4) and we will get back to you.

Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team has produced guidance to support local businesses trying to claim business interruption insurance during the coronavirus pandemic

The advice pages provide legal clarification, practical considerations consumers and businesses may need to consider and useful links.