As businesses start to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has urged the Government to maintain the two-metre rule on social distancing.
As non-essential businesses prepare to re-open, there has been growing pressure from some sectors to reduce social distancing between individuals to one metre rather than two metres. There are also rumours that Ministers may be considering relaxing the two-metre rule.
However, CIEH has demanded that the Government holds its ground, especially as riskier businesses gear up to open from the beginning of July.
Kate Thompson, CIEH Wales director said: “The World Health Organisation advice for distances of at least one-metre to be maintained, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, has led to strong pressure from certain industries to reduce social distancing between individuals from the current two-metres.
“However, this advice was only ever an absolute minimum, rather than a safe distance, and new evidence published today supports this longer distance. Protecting public health and avoiding the possibility of a second peak of infections should be key. It is therefore vital that the two-metre rule is not reduced due to pressure from industry.”