Venues Face Fines of up to £4K if Rule of Six is Not Enforced

• Content
• News
• Venues Face Fines of up to £4K if Rule of Six is Not Enforced

18 September 2020

Leisure and hospitality venues in England are legally required to enforce the rule of six from today, or risk a fine of up to £4,000.

Designated venues will also now have a legal requirement to maintain records of customer contact details and display an official NHS QR code poster ahead of the rollout of the NHS COVID-19 app.

When someone enters a venue and scans an official QR code poster, the venue information will be logged on the user’s phone. The device will check if users have been at that location at the relevant time and if the app finds a match, users will get an alert anonymously with advice on what to do based on the level of risk.

The regulations will be enforced by Local Authorities, who will have the power to issue fines of up to £1,000 for venues that are failing to comply with the rule of six, or the police as a last resort. Fines will rise to up to £4,000 for repeat offenders.

 

"With cases rising, it is vital NHS Test and Trace continues to reach as many people as possible to prevent further transmission of the virus. Businesses have a duty to ensure this function is in place, and those not complying will face fines."

–Matt Hancock

Health and Social Care Secretary

 

What are the new Legal Requirements for Businesses?

 

• From today (18 September 2020), pubs, bars, cafes, restaurants and other leisure venues in England will now need to take bookings of no more than 6 people, ensure people are not meeting in groups of more than 6 people on their premises, and make sure there is sufficient space between tables.
• It will be also mandatory for a wider range of businesses and organisations, including hospitality, close contact services and leisure venues to collect customer, visitor and staff contact detail logs from today.
• From Thursday 24 September, these businesses will also need to display the official NHS QR code posters to make it easier for people to check-in at different premises once the app is rolled out nationally. If individuals choose to check-in using the QR code poster they do not need to log in via any other route

 

Services included in the new legal requirements are: hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés, tourism and leisure, including gyms, swimming pools, hotels, museums, cinemas, zoos and theme parks, and close contact services, including hairdressers facilities provided by local authorities, including town halls and civic centres (for events), libraries and children’s centres.  

 

Action Needed After Rise in Cases

 

The government's scientific advisers have stated that the R number has risen to between 1.1 and 1.4, and that cases are predicted to soon exceed 6,000 a day in England.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

"It is vital we do all we can to control the spread of the virus. Businesses have already stepped up to ensure they are supporting the NHS Test and Trace effort, and it is essential contact logs and displaying NHS QR codes are mandatory so there is consistency across the country and the public can seamlessly provide their details.

"Venues should record and maintain contact details logs for customers, visitors and staff, and they should also download an official NHS QR code poster for their premises ahead of the launch of the NHS COVID-19 app.

"With cases rising, it is vital NHS Test and Trace continues to reach as many people as possible to prevent further transmission of the virus. Businesses have a duty to ensure this function is in place, and those not complying will face fines."

Picture: A photograph of a group of people dining at a restaurant table

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 18 September 2020

Share

---

---

Related Articles

---