With the majority of Worcester's shops expected to reopen on Monday June 15, Worcester City Council is asking residents and businesses to work together to ensure the city is open, healthy and safe.
The City Council is putting up signs in all the city's main shopping areas and its own car parks to remind people of the importance of social distancing to reduce the potential for coronavirus infection.
Shoppers are also being urged not to all head to the same retailers on day one – but instead to spread out the days when they revisit the city's many re-opened businesses.
Councillor Adrian Gregson, Deputy Leader of Worcester City Council, said: "We've all been waiting for our city's fantastic shops to open their doors again and it will be a good moment to see our city centre and other areas starting to recover.
"But the coronavirus is still out there and it remains important that people continue to observe physical distancing so that Worcester can be open, healthy and safe. That means shops ensuring their staff can work safely and customers keeping a safe distance away from anyone who is not part of their household.
"One way to do that is for people to resist the urge to all head to the same shops on the first day they open. Remember, the shops will be staying open after Monday, so you might be better to wait until later in the week."
The City Council has been working alongside partners including CrownGate, Cathedral Square, the University of Worcester, Worcester BID and Worcestershire County Council to prepare for the reopening of non-essential retail.
Signs will be put up on in all the city's shopping areas, and also in the City Council's 14 car parks, to remind people of the importance of social distancing. There will also be markings on pavements to show two-metre distances in areas where people may need to queue, such as cashpoints.
Other signs will highlight alternative routes, so that shoppers can avoid some of the busiest areas.
Notices on public benches will remind people not to sit too close to someone who is not part of their household.
The City Council will be regularly washing down benches and other "street furniture" such as lamp posts and litter bins in order to help reduce the potential for coronavirus infection.
More actions will follow in the coming weeks with the aim of encouraging residents to shop locally while also keeping the infection rate down – helping Worcester to be open, healthy and safe.
