'Collect customer data': Message to pubs and restaurants in Cumbria

Credit: PA

"Collect customer data" is the message to pubs and restaurants in Cumbria. 

The county's Business and Economic Response and Recovery Group (BERRG) of the Local resilience Forum says hospitality venues must have "robust arrangements" in place in order to support NHS Test and Trace.

It comes as members of the public who've attended a number of pubs in the county are asked to get tested for COVID-19 - the most recent being the Station Hotel in Penrith.

Whilst public health officials say it had reflection on the pub on this occasion, the forum has asked other pubs to make sure they are collecting customer contact information.

Credit: PA

Jo Lappin, Chair of BERRG and Chief Executive of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) said: “ Since the outset, BERRG has been promoting the need to work safely and ina COVID-Secure way and now that pubs, restaurants and other venues havere-opened this becomes even more important.

“Going forward, only venues that do not have sufficient contact tracing information will be named, as a general public message will be necessary to ensure that all possible contacts are made aware.

"We are therefore asking businesses to ensure that their Test and Trace contact tracing information meets the required standard. We are already seeing local lockdowns being enforced, something that we really want to avoid in Cumbria as our economy gets back up and running.

"That is why we are encouraging all of our hospitality venues to protect theirbusiness by protecting their customers and staff.

"The Test and Trace system is a critical part of getting our economy back on its feet after lockdown and complying with this will help us avoid an increase in infection rates.

"Working together and following the Government’s safe working guidance will help usavoid that situation.

"Many of our businesses are doing this really well and we need to make sure that all of our businesses are aware of what needs to be done and can learn from their colleagues that are doing this really well."