South Kesteven District Council is urging shoppers and business owners to follow the Government's latest Covid-19 guidance to prevent any local spikes in the number of Coronavirus cases, as lockdown restrictions are further relaxed on Saturday (4 July).

Advice on the guidance is available on the SKDC website and both the council and InvestSK are ready to offer further support to any business that needs it.

From Saturday, hairdressers, barbers, pubs, and restaurants will be able to reopen with strict social distancing and Covid-safe hygiene measures in place. This follows the initial phase of town centres reopening on 15 June, when non-essential retailers were able to legally reopen their doors to customers.

SKDC Leader, Cllr Kelham Cooke, urged shoppers and businesses to make the last 15 weeks count, by keeping safe.

He said: "This is an important step forward in the fight against Covid-19. The council has been clear about its support for local businesses and the role that they will play in the recovery from Coronavirus, but to be successful we need to ensure that everyone continues to follow Government guidelines to protect public health and prevent the potential of local lockdowns.

"The council and InvestSK regularly update their websites so that the very latest information is available for all the different types of businesses in our town centres. Anyone still unsure how the regulations affect them can get further advice and support from us as we are only a phone call or a click away."

During the first phase of town centre reopening on 15 June, the council organised a small number of social distancing champions, in Grantham, Stamford, Bourne and The Deepings – council staff and volunteers – to highlight any pinch-points so that appropriate action could be taken to avoid problems.

This has resulted in some minor adjustments for some retailers and additional signage being introduced for pedestrians and road users. The social distancing champions will continue to operate for the next few weeks.

Further information about the Government's guidance on Coronavirus can be found at: http://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=14947