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Coronavirus: Some Guernsey firms to reopen from 25 April

BBC Scaffolding on St Peter Port high streetBBC
Businesses which do reopen will have to abide by social distancing and hygiene guidelines

Building and gardening trades are among those which will be permitted to return to work from 25 April, the States of Guernsey has announced.

The industries which will be able to operate have been published on the States website.

Businesses will be subject to social distancing and hygiene requirements.

The government has clarified the changes do not take away from its "stay at home" message.

The move comes as part of Guernsey's phased approach to relaxing lockdown measures.

The industries able to operate from Saturday are:

  • Gardening, building and other trades with no household contact
  • Building wholesale and supply
  • Vehicle servicing, maintenance and repairs (including cars, bikes and marine)
  • Property sales, rentals and business transactions

Any business which intends to reopen must notify Environmental Health online, the government added.

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'Next phase'

Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink said they felt "confident" in the decision given current evidence of how the island was managing.

However, she added it would "certainly not be business as usual" for anyone resuming work.

Dr Brink said: "Businesses absolutely need to carefully read the guidance and stick to it as we cannot allow the community's hard work in responding to this virus to be undone."

Chair of the Civil Contingencies Authority Gavin St Pier said the relaxation did not take away from the "core message" that people should "stay at home unless for very specific reasons".

Mr St Pier said: "There is no bullet-proof way of moving into this next phase as we seek to relax lockdown measures, so we need businesses and the wider community to continue supporting us to reduce the risk of the number of cases beginning to rise again."