Know Before You Go

Last Updated Wednesday 6th January 2021

On Monday 4th January 2021 the Prime Minister announced a third National Lockdown for England with immediate effect.  By law, you must stay at home except to:

• Work, if you cannot work from home.
• Shop for food and basic necessities.
• Seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm.
• Exercise alone, or with your household (or support bubble), no more than once per day. You should not travel outside your local area for exercise.

This means all of Staffordshire's visitor attractions, entertainment and leisure venues, places to eat, accommodation and other tourism and hospitality businesses must remain closed until at least 15th February (half-term).

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local - unless it is necessary to go further, for example to go to work. Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.

Some outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests, public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them) and the grounds of heritage sites or castles can open for people to exercise.

Restaurants, pubs and cafes are permitted to to continue sales by takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services. Read our Blog to find out more about businesses offering these services. 

If you are planning to travel to Staffordshire from other part of the UK after 5th January, please postpone your trip.

Whilst we are bitterly disappointed that our tourism and hospitality businesses can't reopen yet, we look forward to welcoming you back to our wonderful county as soon as it's safe to do so.

Planning your visit

When current restrictions are lifted, there are still likely to be other measures for visitors to Staffordshire to follow, such as advance booking, social distancing and wearing face coverings.

You may need to book in advance, as businesses will be limiting visitor numbers to help with social distancing, so please check online with individual businesses.

  

Test & Trace

To assist with NHS Test & Trace, pubs, restaurants, cinemas and other venues are now required by law to take all customer data, which is kept for 21 days and then destroyed.

This is to help the NHS reach you, if you have been in close proximity to someone who tests positive for Coronavirus.

On arrival, visitors must check-in using the NHS COVID-19 app, which is free and will be available to download from Thursday 24th September.

If you don't have a smartphone, or can't use the app, your details will be manually recorded and stored.

Face Coverings

You must wear a face covering at visitor attractions like museums, theme parks and theatres, so please bring one with you, unless you are under 11, or exempt for health reasons.

It is also mandatory to wear face coverings in shops, banks, libraries and takeaways, and from Thursday 24th September, you must wear one in pubs, bars, restaurants and other food & drink businesses, unless you are sitting at a table, eating or drinking.

We recommend you travel by car if possible, but if you are visiting Staffordshire on public transport, please wear your face covering at all times on your train or bus, or in your taxi.

Enhanced Cleanliness

Our attractions, eateries, hotels and restaurants have set up hand sanitiser stations to help combat the spread of Coronavirus, but if you are travelling to rural areas, we would recommend bringing your own hand sanitiser.

To maintain a clean environment, many of our businesses are not accepting cash, because the virus can be passed on via coins and notes. Please ensure you have a bank card with you for contactless payments.

Respect, Protect, Enjoy

We all have a responsibility to park safely, in designated spaces.

Some of our car parks may be busy when you visit, so have an alternative in mind, or consider returning another day if possible.

In rural areas, please observe the Countryside Code – respect, protect and enjoy.

Respect: consider the local community and others using the countryside.

Park considerately, ensuring gateways and driveways are clear, and leave the area as you found it, for example by closing gates behind you.

Protect: please take any litter and dog poo home with you, and keep dogs under control. Don’t have BBQs or light fires.

Enjoy: we want you to enjoy Staffordshire’s wonderful green spaces, so do your research and Know Before You Go, and stick to social distancing measures.

If you have symptoms of Coronavirus

If you are experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19, we ask that you avoid travelling, stay at home, and book a Coronavirus test.

The current Government guidelines ask you to self-isolate for at least 10 days if you are experiencing symptoms, or have been informed by NHS Test & Trace that you have been in close contact with someone with Coronavirus.

Full information is available on individual businesses’ websites, so check online and Know Before You Go.

For full details of Government and public health advice on Coronavirus, visit the UK Government website and the NHS website.