Back to Business Hub

Your one-stop-shop for support during the coronavirus outbreak

Our Back to Business Hub aims to keep you as informed as we can to help guide you through these difficult and uncertain times. However, for the latest guidance, please visit gov.uk/coronavirus. You can also sign up for the latest alerts and guidance regarding your business type. 

Contact details

Our Back to Business hotline is open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

• Telephone: 01304 821199, Option 9 and ask to speak to the 'back to business hub' or
• Email: backtobusiness@dover.gov.uk or

• Online: Back to Business Form
• Keep Me Posted: sign up for email alerts (select 'Covid-19 Business Updates' from the list of topics)

Covid restrictions in England

We are following the Government's plans to relax some COVID-19 restrictions but it's still important to follow the rules to keep your family and friends safe. 

Find out what this means and what rules to follow at gov.uk

Business Restrictions

You must not open if your business is closed under current government restrictions

Please see the Government guidance on business and venue restrictions and reopening businesses and venues on GOV.UK. 

 This guidance covers: 

• Businesses already permitted to open through steps 1 and 2
• Businesses and venues reopening at Step 3, 17 May
• Indoor sports and leisure
• Business closures at Step 3
• Step 4 - no earlier than 21 June
• What can be done in businesses that are closed
• Operating in a COVID-Secure manner
• Employer duties for self-isolation
• Face coverings
• Compliance and enforcement
• Business support
• Business rates

Working safely

The new COVID variant spreads more easily. By taking the right steps, consistently, we can reduce transmission.

All businesses and venues permitted to open must follow the Government's guidance for working safely during COVID-19 to protect customers, visitors and workers. 

Every business must have in place a COVID secure risk assessment. As part of this, you must:

• identify what work activity or situations might cause transmission of the virus
• think about who could be at risk
• decide how likely it is that someone could be exposed.

Please ensure your plan is reassessed and fully implemented.  Contact our Back to Business Hub if you need support to develop or update an assessment. 

Please also see our How to be COVID secure page for further information, including for your workforce and managing outbreaks. 

Our Environment Health pages also have advice for local businesses and self-employed.

Your workforce

Regardless of the size of your workforce, you should:

• Follow the Government guidance and wherever possible and practical, support staff to work from home
• Ensure employees maintain social distancing, follow good handwashing practice, and wear face coverings where necessary, particularly when moving around the workplace. Hands. Face. Space - and letting fresh air in - has never been more important  
• Advise anyone with symptoms to get a test – this is quick and easy to arrange
• Ensure they stay at home until they get their results  
• Everyone without symptoms should get tested twice per week. Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 have no symptoms, so getting tested regularly can stop people unknowingly spreading the virus. Symptom- free testing is quick and easy to arrange. 

• 'We Offer Testing to our Staff' scheme: A new scheme for business offering workplace testing for staff has been launched in the UK, through NHS Test and Trace. The scheme allows businesses to show they are testing their staff regularly. Over 122,000 businesses have signed up for free workplace testing already, using government-supplied rapid test kits. Participating businesses can access materials including stickers and posters on GOV.UK.

Reporting outbreaks

In addition to doing as much as possible to reduce transmission, it is really important that you know what to do if you have a confirmed case or cases of coronavirus in your business.

The Government has published COVID-19 early outbreak management information to make sure people who run businesses or organisations:

• know how to recognise and report an incident of coronavirus (COVID-19)
• are aware of measures local health protection teams may advise in order to contain it

This information is contained within ‘action cards’ that have been designed for specific situations where an outbreak could occur. This could be a restaurant or office, a construction site or a place of worship.

Download and print the relevant action card for your sector and keep on hand in your business, so that you can act without delay to help stop the spread. 

Reporting concerns about a business

If you have concerns that a business or venue is breaching coronavirus guidance, or closure rules, you can report this to us through our Business Operation Complaint Form. We will review all reports and redirect those that may need to go to other agencies, for example Kent Police or Kent County Council Trading Standards. 

If you have concerns about the behaviour of individuals (i.e. gatherings, or self-isolation breaches) please report these concerns to Kent Police. 

To understand the current requirements for business and individuals please the gov.uk website.