Birmingham City Council to tighten restrictions with powers to close businesses

Birmingham City Council will have the power to close local hospitality businesses that do not follow Covid-19 rules under measures set to be introduced tomorrow.

From August 26, the authority will be allowed to take enforcement action against businesses that fail to comply with the rules with the aim of keeping infection rates down.

The city is on a government watch list after a spike in cases.

Under the new measures, the council will be able to:

Restrict access to, or close, individual premises on the basis of an inadequate risk assessment or risk management, for example restaurants or bars;

Prohibit certain types of event taking place on the basis of a maximum event size, including life events such as weddings or funerals (there is no intention to change the numbers of people that can attend different types of events under the current guidance which stands at 30);

Restrict access to, or close, public outdoor places (or types of outdoor public places) if there is a public health need to.

Cllr Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council said: “While the recent figures show our rates are going down, we cannot be complacent.

“Staying focused now will also support our fragile economic recovery in the long term. No one wants to see a continual ‘stop, start’ approach as to what citizens can do and where they can go, least of all our business community. Most of whom are adhering to the guidance and are doing all they can to keep our citizens safe. For those that are not we are now enacting powers to ensure that they do.

“These new powers will allow us to intervene when businesses are putting staff and customers at risk of infection. By all working together to take action now, we can hopefully bring the numbers down, prevent further restrictions and protect the health and jobs of people across the city.”

The new powers will allow the council and police to investigate reports of business premises which are failing to comply with Covid-secure risk assessments.

Offending businesses could also be issued with written warning and if they continue to flout the regulations, they may be served with a notice of closure.

Hospitality premises should also not accept bookings for more than six people or from groups from more than two households. If unsure, businesses have the right to ask and refuse service.
Track and trace should also be enforced to make sure all customers provide their personal details in case of a positive test result whilst staff should be sent home to isolate and take a test if they show symptoms.

The council also has a whistleblowing number for members of the public to use if they feel a business is not complying with regulations.

Birmingham was put on Public Health England’s watchlist on Friday.

The number of cases in the city in the week to 13 August was 347 but dropped to 272 in the week to 20 August.

However, this worked out at 24 cases per 100,000 residents in one week, compared with 11 per 100,000 across the whole of England.