This week we entered the 13th week of lockdown across the country and we are now seeing signs that some form of normality is starting to return. Non-essential shops began reopening this week and it was clear to see that many people are happy to be able to get out and about more now. It is important to note though, that people are being urged not to go to shops simply to browse and to only visit if they intend to make purchases. Shoppers will notice differences, such as social distancing measures being in place, one-way systems and with many shops requesting contactless card payments where possible.

While there are many positives this week, we must all remember that current government guidance states that we must all still stick to social distancing measures. This means that, until government instruction changes, we must all stay 2 metres apart from others outside of our own households. We must all also make sure that, if we are contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service, we follow any advice that we are given around self-isolating – even if we do not have symptoms ourselves. This will help to control the virus and save lives.

Read the full update here: Stakeholder update wc 15 June 2020