COVID-19 Guidance
Advice for users of the hall
As at the 10th December 2021
From 10th December 2022 the following changes will been made to the legal rules:
From 10th December 2021 face coverings became mandatory in village and community halls (subject to exemptions, below) as well as in shops and post offices, libraries, members’ clubs, social clubs, places of worship, cinemas, theatres, indoor play areas. They must therefore be worn for these kinds of activities hosted at a hall. They are not required by people taking part in exercise, dancing or, in some cases, singing. For more information see: Face coverings: when to wear one, exemptions, and how to make your own - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
NB: The responsibility to comply with face coverings is the individual’s, not the building owner or organiser of an activity.
Good hygiene practices, i.e., regular hand washing with sanitiser or soap and water, and, where practical, social distancing remain essential.
Test and Trace will be retained and continued display of QR codes will be advised. The advice for individuals to get a test if advised to do so and self-isolate if tested positive remains key to reducing transmission.
Face covering requirements
Face coverings are required when entering and moving around in common areas of village and community halls (e.g., corridors and toilets) and at public or club events.
Government Guidance for specific sectors is gradually being revised. Some (e.g., volunteering, performing arts) has the new information about face coverings added at the top, without applying it as relevant, saying that further guidance will be issued. Governing bodies for sport are expected to issue their own Guidance in due course. We have done our best to interpret the position here, pending further information.
Face coverings are not required by those involved in activities involving exercise or dancing (e.g., keep fit, Pilates, dance classes or wedding receptions) or taking photos of people.
The face coverings guidance explains: “Face coverings are also not required in premises or a part of a premises where the main activity is eating, drinking, exercising, or dancing. This might include venues being used to host wedding receptions or some music events as well as restaurants, pubs, bars, and nightclubs. This is because it is not practical for people to wear a face covering when eating or drinking, and it is not recommended that face coverings are worn when undertaking strenuous activity, including exercising and dancing.”
Where private events are held (such as a wedding reception) face coverings are not required within the room used for the event. However, people can nonetheless be encouraged to wear them, and organisers may wish to encourage those attending to do lateral flow tests beforehand to protect vulnerable guests. The face coverings guidance, quoted above, still applies to that part of the building that is open to the public during the event.
The Government Guidance for Out of School explains that face coverings are not required in education or childcare settings: “Adults and children attending out of school settings or wraparound childcare in community premises where there is a mandatory requirement to wear a face covering (for example community centres, youth centres, public libraries, and places of worship) are exempt from doing so when they are in a private activity room or private classroom, or where the premises has been hired out for the sole use of the provision. However, adults and children aged 11 and above must comply with any other legal requirements on the use of face coverings in these premises when they are in communal areas.” Registered Charity No 1061568 VAT No 477763003 Company Limited by Guarantee 3336101
While face coverings are not at present required in hospitality settings the advice remains that they should be worn in crowded and enclosed spaces where people come into contact with those they do not normally meet. This is in order to try and control the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron and Delta versions of the virus. Consequently, organisers of activities should be asked to encourage those attending to comply with that advice. For example, where an interval bar for a play or film opens into the room where the play or film is held (at which a face covering is specifically required except when eating or drinking), it is advisable that face coverings are required when queueing at the bar, or that a pre-ordering system is set up.
Singing The regulations permit the removal of face coverings for singing in the following situations: as part of a choir, service, performance, or rehearsal for a performance.
Exemptions apply: These include: • children under the age of 11, • people who cannot wear them for certain reasons involving physical or mental health or distress, • people speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate, • to avoid the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others.
The workplace guidance This explains that staff within settings covered by the regulations are required to wear face coverings when they are in a part that is open to the public and when they are likely to come into close contact with members of the public (such as serving in a community shop), but not if in a “non-public facing” role (e.g., working in a parish office, a cleaner). However, staff working in areas where face coverings are not legally required (e.g., hospitality, gyms) can choose to wear a face covering. So those catering for an event at a hall are not required to wear them but can choose to do so.
Ventilation
The results of research into 31 pilot large events this summer are reflected in the requirements for face coverings and COVID-19 passports etc. They showed that risk of transmission increases with prolonged and repeated exposure to poor quality air, insufficient ventilation, reduced social distancing or limited compliance with face coverings.
The ventilation aspects are relevant to community venues and events because the underlying point is that Risk Assessment should be tailored to each venue: mitigations include adequate ventilation, face coverings and reducing crowding (as given in the ACRE Briefing of 22nd September). The “ventilation strategy” over winter might, for example, include opening windows at the top during activities, opening more windows and doors towards the end of aerosol generating activities (e.g., exercise or dance), creating air change before the next activity.
Meeting in well-ventilated areas where possible, such as outdoors or indoors with windows open.
Wearing a face covering where you come into contact with people you don't normally meet in enclosed and crowded spaces.
Washing your hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day.
Covering your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze.
Staying at home if unwell, to reduce the risk of passing on other illnesses onto friends, family, colleagues, and others in your community.
Considering individual risks, such as clinical vulnerabilities and vaccination status.
At this stage we do not plan to make any changes to the running of the hall. We will leave the posters up, leave the hand sanitiser in place and continue with the current cleaning regime.
It will be the responsibility of hirers to assess how best to apply the rule changes and guidance for their particular activities and user's needs and attitudes.
We recommend that you continue to clean surfaces, request face masks be worn, especially when arriving and leaving, continue to clean hands, maintain suitable social distancing or put in place mitigating measures where that is not possible and generally be aware of your user's vulnerabilities and concerns. Not everyone will yet feel comfortable being in a crowded, unventilated space.
Also remember that with Covid still spreading, double vaccinated older folk are still at higher risk of serious illness or death from Covid than the unvaccinated young. Also note that the Test and Trace system will remain in place and you must keep a record of attendees or ensure they use the QR code with the app.
Finally if you are made aware of having a user in the hall who turns out to have covid, please let us know as soon as possible. To contact us click below.
We hope that is all clear and that you are able to enjoy full and safe use of the hall.
If anything changes we will of course let you know.