Two businesses caught breaching Covid rules in Porthcawl

BRIDGEND Council workers have given improvement notices to a dog grooming salon and barber shop in Porthcawl for breaching coronavirus rules.

Officers from the Shared Regulatory Service (SRS) found Happy Tails, 58 New Road, Porthcawl, and Nali’s barbershop, 86 New Road, Porthcawl failed to comply with the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations 2020 on Friday, (May 14).

Documents published on the SRS website show staff at Happy Tails were not wearing face coverings. The documents also reveal staff at Nali’s barber shop were not wearing visors or the correct type of face masks and customers were not wearing masks.

Both businesses were given 48 hours to comply with the rules.

Welsh Government guidelines state businesses have “a duty to take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus” and ” all need to work hard to keep Wales safe by following some simple guidelines to reduce the risk”.

It is a legal requirement for people to wear face masks in all indoor public places across Wales. Staff at barbers and hair salons in Wales must wear a type two mask and a clear visor according to Welsh Government guidance.

The guidance also states employers must wear masks “in indoor workplaces where social distancing cannot be maintained unless there are strong reasons not to”. This means some people who work in places that are not open to the public may also have to wear face-covering at work.

The SRS, a partnership between South Wales Police and Bridgend, Cardiff, and the Vale of Glamorgan councils, carries out checks on licensed premises to ensure they comply with government guidelines. Failure to comply can result in closure, a fixed penalty notice, or being taken to court.

To date, 110 premises in Bridgend county borough have been caught breaching coronavirus regulations and given improvement notices, while seven local businesses have been temporarily closed.

The service has issued 107 improvement notices to businesses in Cardiff and 85 in the Vale of Glamorgan.