HIGH streets in England are reopening for the first time in three months in a significant moment for businesses and shoppers in the lockdown easing. Here we look at what that will entail.

What is reopening on today?

Zoos and safari parks, places of worship for private prayer, auction houses, photography studios, electronics retailers, indoor markets and all other non-essential shops such as those selling clothes, shoes and toys.

The Northern Echo: Plexiglass screens behind tills to protect staff in a London branch of WaterstonesPlexiglass screens behind tills to protect staff in a London branch of Waterstones

What are shops expected to do?

  • In order to reopen on Monday shops must be “Covid-secure”, and they will be expected to place a notice on display so customers and staff can see that they are complying with the Government guidance.
  • Anywhere that’s reopening is expected to have carried out a risk assessment, overseen by local authority staff and the Health and Safety Executive.
  • As well as informing all employees about the assessment’s findings, companies with more than 50 employees will be expected to publish the results on their website.
  • Shops must have developed hygiene procedures such as increasing the frequency of hand-washing and surface cleaning.
  • Items returned or “extensively handled” should be isolated for 72 hours or cleaned, guidance states.
  • Retailers will be expected to take steps including limiting how many customers there are inside their building at any one time and frequently cleaning and checking objects and surfaces.
  • Environmental Health and Trading Standards officers will monitor compliance with the regulations, supported by police. Breaches could result in prohibition notices and fixed penalties.
  • Failure to comply with a prohibition notice or pay a fixed penalty notice could result in being taken to court and facing potentially unlimited fines.

What will customers have to do?

  • Be prepared to wait. As with supermarkets, which have been open throughout the pandemic, shoppers will have to employ their patience as they join queues at stores due to limits on the numbers of people who can enter at any one time.
  • Customers are likely to be greeted by floor markings indicating one-way systems and signs reminding them to keep two metres apart from other shoppers as well as staff.
  • The Government has said that fitting rooms should be closed when possible due to the challenges in operating them safely, but if they cannot they should be cleaned frequently.
  • Store layouts may need to change to limit the amount customers handle merchandise, which may include different methods of displaying products or regularly replacing frequently touched stock.

Wearing masks, which is mandatory on public transport from Monday, is not compulsory in shops.