South Kesteven District Council is calling on businesses to keep collecting the contact details of customers to continue the effective fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

As businesses reopen and life begins to return to normal it is essential that they undertake effective contact tracing to continue minimising the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its variants.

SKDC is reminding businesses that it is a requirement to actively ask every customer or visitor to check in, either by scanning the official NHS QR code or providing their contact details.

Venues must ask every member of a group to check in, not just a lead member.

The Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC) has stated that all businesses with customers on their premises have a vital role to play in ensuring that customers are safe.

To do this, businesses must understand the Collection of Contact Details Regulations. They must also be aware of what they are required to do to support NHS Test and Trace and why it is important. Educational assets for businesses can be found at https://covid19.nhs.uk/information-and-resources.html

The council is eager to see the district's town centres and high streets busy again with people supporting their local businesses. It does, however, want to ensure that the return to normal life is managed in a safe and controlled manner and is asking businesses, where required, to make sure they collect the contact details of all their customers.

Requirements include:

Displaying an official NHS QR code poster.

Actively asking every customer or visitor aged 16 and over to scan the official NHS QR code, or provide their name and contact number.

Keeping a record of all staff working on the premises, their shift times, and contact details.

Keeping those records of customers, visitors and staff for 21 days, providing data to NHS Test and Trace if requested, and securely destroying them after 21 days in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Offering a method for individuals to check in which does not require them to own a smartphone, tablet or other form of technology.

Hospitality venues must also take reasonable steps to refuse entry to people who refuse to provide their details or scan the official NHS QR code poster. This does not apply to takeaway services.