Coronavirus enforcement boost
Yesterday the government announced £60m of Coronavirus support to enable police forces and local councils to increase their enforcement of coronavirus rules.
This includes £30m of funding which will enable police forces to increase patrols in town centres and ensure that people are complying with the new restrictions, particularly in high-risk areas. Police will also provide more support to Local Authorities and NHS Test & Trace to enforce self-isolation requirements. Local councils will receive £30m funding to increase their compliance work and enforcement checks on businesses.
The Government has published guidance outlining the types of compliance and enforcement activities councils could carry out. This includes covering costs associated with stepping up enforcement activity, measures to help the public and businesses to understand the latest regulations and funding the cost of dedicated staff to encourage compliance with the rules, including Marshals.
Marshals, or stewards and ambassadors as they are referred to in some areas, have already been rolled out successfully by many councils to help businesses and communities to follow the latest guidelines, freeing up the police and other enforcement officers such as Environmental Health Officers.
They do not carry out an enforcement role, which continues to be the role of the police and designated local council enforcement officers. Instead they can work with local businesses on queue management, direct pedestrians and support social distancing in busy public areas, remind members of the public to wear a face covering where it’s required and help with the regular cleaning of touch points.
Travel Taskforce
The overall aim of the Travel Taskforce will be to consider what steps the government can take, both domestically and on the international stage, to enable the safe and sustainable recovery of international travel.
