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Keeping Southampton Safe

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Post date: 4th January 2021
Written by: The Visit Southampton Team

Southampton, along with the rest of the UK are now in national lockdown. This means:

You must stay at home except for limited reasons
You cannot mix with others outside of your household/support bubble in any indoor setting (public or private)
You can only meet one other person from another household outdoors
Non-essential businesses (including retail, leisure, accommodation and hospitality) remain closed
You may only travel to work when you cannot work from home

You may only leave your home to:

Shop for essential goods for yourself or a vulnerable person
Go to work or provide charitable services, if you cannot do so from home
Exercise outside with your household/support bubble or one other person - limited to once per day and to remain in your local area
Meet your childcare/support bubble
Seek medical assistance or to avoid domestic abuse
Attend education/childcare - (for those eligible)

For full Government guidance on what you can and cannot do in lockdown please go here.

Be Smart, Stay Apart

Throughout the city centre, you will see floor markers to help you follow social distancing guidelines whilst queuing outside stores. These have been installed for your safety and to help minimise the spread of coronavirus. You may also notice:

Guidance displayed to help you shop safely and responsibly
More space for pedestrians and cyclists (e.g. widened footpaths and reduced on-street parking provision in selected areas)
Increased secure cycle parking (in progress)
COVID-19 Marshals

Essential shopping

To help ensure Southampton is a safe and enjoyable place for all to visit, please follow both government advice and regulations as well as local guidance in the city.

When shopping for essential goods, please:

Don't visit if you should be self-isolating
Follow markers to keep a safe distance in queues and don't join queues that are full
Shop on your own if you can
Keep moving through the city centre
Only touch products you are planning to buy
Show respect to shop staff and other customers
Follow the Hands, Face, Space guidance

Face Coverings

It is now mandatory to wear a face-covering in all indoor settings, including shops, supermarkets, theatres, museums, cinemas, galleries, restaurants, bars, beauty salons and hairdressers unless you have a medical reason not to. Please be aware that businesses can refuse your entry if you do not comply and the Police can fine you up to £100. You can find the full list of where to wear a face covering and how to make your own here.

Non-essential business closures

In line with Government guidance, all non-essential businesses are closed. This includes:

Non-essential retail shops
Pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants - although some may be open for delivery/takeaway services
Hairdressers, tattooists, beauty salons and gyms
Hotels, B&Bs, guest houses and other accommodation
Cinemas, bowling allies, theatres, galleries, museums and any other leisure venues

We will keep you updated with the latest guidance as and when Southampton moves out of lockdown.

Getting Here

Where possible and appropriate, walking and cycling to and around Southampton is encouraged. If you are using public transport remember that face masks must be worn when travelling and providers will be operating with reduced capacities in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Please check with individual providers for more details.

Please note you should only be travelling around Southampton if you have to for essential reasons mentioned above.

A Cleaner Southampton

A dedicated cleaning team, provided by GO! Southampton and Southampton City Council, has been working hard to ensure our city centre is safe for businesses to open and visitors/residents to return. The cleaning team is disinfecting high contact areas of the city centre with antiviral spray on a daily rotation which includes public furniture such as benches, fingerposts and bins as well as ATMs, phone boxes and gates. They are also cleaning contact areas of car parks such as handrails, lifts and ticket machines. You should still continue to wash your hands and use hand sanitiser regularly.

Covid Marshals

Southampton City Council has introduced new Covid Marshals into the city to encourage visitors to follow COVID-19 safety guidance. The Covid marshals will be out and about in the city centre (and district centres) to explain and inform both businesses and members of the public about the latest Government guidelines to help keep everyone safe. You can find out more about the marshals here.

More Information

For more information on COVID-19 head to our dedicated page here.

You can also find more general information on Southampton and COVID-19 on the council's page here.

*Information correct as of 5 January 2021*

Some of the safety measures have been implemented using some of the £225,000 from the England European Regional Development Fund. This marketing campaign aims to reassure, encourage and inspire residents in Southampton and the surrounding areas to visit the city which is safe and ready for their return. Visit Southampton and Southampton City Council will also be using some of the grant funding to amplify these messages through paid-for channels, such as: digital, local press, radio and leaflet drops. We will publish outcomes and results on this page once the campaign comes to an end.