Owners of public premises required to display new COVID-19 QR poster

The Council is reminding venues which serve the public in the borough that they need to print off and prominently display a new national poster, which supports the NHS Test and Trace Service.

From 24 September, the Government has made it a legal requirement for venues used by the public to put up the official COVID-19 QR poster on their premises.

The posters should be displayed by all venues from the following sectors: hospitality, leisure and tourism, close contact services, places of worship and local authority venues.

This initiative complements the launch of the new NHS COVID-19 app and the Test and Trace Service. Everyone is being asked to play their part in the national effort to tackle the increasing spread of the virus by downloading the NHS COVID-19 app from the Apple App Store or Google Play on their smartphones when it launches on 24 September.

Once the app is downloaded, people can ‘check in’ when they enter public buildings by scanning the QR code on the posters with their smartphones. This records the date and time they were present in a venue on the app, and later notify users if they have been in contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “The NHS COVID-19 app is a tool to break the chains of COVID-19 transmission, and help protect our health and care systems.

“I would urge everyone to download it. Alongside the app, it is equally important for public premises to print off and display the COVID-19 QR poster. The two complement each other and it is important our residents use both in their daily lives. By doing this, you will be really helping in a productive way to play your part in tracking the virus.

“If people ‘check in’ to premises using the app on their phones, they can feel confident in the knowledge they will be notified by the app if they have come into contact with someone who may have been carrying the virus, is contagious and able to pass it on, but has yet to develop symptoms.”

It is easy to go online and print off the poster. Information on how businesses can create a COVID-19 QR poster for their building: https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/pdf/businesses-qr-guide.pdf

Customer contact details need to be collected by the venue for those people who have not downloaded the app and are not able to ‘check-in’ using the COVID-19 QR poster. Gathering contact details to support Test and Trace is already a legal requirement.

A template for collecting customer contact details for those who have not downloaded the app is available on the Council’s website at this link: https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/news-and-views/incidents/coronavirus-covid-19/business-information/re-opening-businesses.aspx

Council officers are visiting venues to help make sure they are aware of the new legal requirements.

Further information about the app is available at: https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/pdf/introducing-the-app.pdf