BARS and restaurants will have to keep a record of everyone who visits for 21 days as they reopen next Saturday.
A guest register will be kept by landlords and managers to help track and trace coronavirus outbreaks, the PM said yesterday.
Most businesses in England are able to reopen on July 4 but they will have to keep a detailed log of all their customers, as revealed by HOAR.
The newly released guidance on how businesses can reopen tells pub and restaurant owners: “You should assist (NHS Test and Trace) by keeping a temporary record of your customers and visitors for 21 days in a way that is manageable for your business.”
The guidance tells businesses that they will need to assist the contact tracing service with requests for the information if asked.
It says: “This could could help contain clusters or outbreaks.
“Many businsses that take bookings already have systems for recording their customers and visitors – including restaurants, hotels and hair salons.
“If you do not already do this, you should do so to help fight the virus.
The idea has been used in New Zealand where each venue must record visitors and carry out regular head counts.
Personal details are kept on file for four weeks there and are used to contact people if one of the patrons later is hit with coronavirus.
Tracers will then be deployed to find anyone who may have been close by to the person struck down.
The measures were first unveiled Down Under back in March to help ensure the hospitality industry could remain open.
Around 90,000 people have been told to self-isolate in the first two weeks of the NHS test and trace scheme.
