Monthly Archives: September 2020

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How CCTV and access control could help your staff return to work

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Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
Stopping the rate of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) is essential while allowing for more people to return to work and for other aspects of normal life to function again.
While social distancing, along with washing our hands and surfaces, will continue to be the principle ways that we can reduce transmission, technology firms and their partners, such as UK-based CCTV and access control specialist, Ecl-ips, have been developing various solutions to enforce new rules and to help in the return to work.
>See also: How to reopen your gym, pool or leisure facility post lockdown
Temperature screening
One of the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) is a high temperature and there are a number of CCTV and other technology firms marketing elevated body temperature (EBT) detection. However, all of these technologies need to be considered carefully.
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), for example, has stated that “temperature-based screening, such as thermal imaging, is not effective at determining if someone definitively has COVID-19 because, among other things, a person with COVID-19 may not have a fever. A diagnostic test must be performed to determine if someone has COVID-19”.
The FDA adds, “Thermal imaging systems have not been shown to

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Eviction ban for commercial tenants to be extended until end of the year

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
The government is preparing to extend the eviction ban on commercial properties until the end of the year, reports the Financial Times.
Officials are looking at how to extend the ban from its current cut-off date of September 30th. The move comes as the Government faces increasing pressure to help businesses who are still struggling with the effects of COVID-19.
The announcement could be coming as early as this week, according to one official.
Leading figures in hospitality and retail warn that retailers and restaurants could be at risk of closure come the end of September with the clashing of the eviction and the next quarter’s rent bill.
UKHospitality has warned that a failure to act urgently to rent crisis will result in a ‘bloodbath’, with hospitality businesses failing and subsequent job losses.
Over the past weekend, leading restaurant groups including Burger King and Itsu wrote to Boris Johnson wrote to Boris Johnson to ask him for a targeted extension of the eviction ban, citing a ‘critical risk’ for restaurants from October 1st.
Retailers such as New Look have also called on landlords for rent reductions, with some forcing cuts through company voluntary arrangements.
Landlords say that eviction bans risk

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Small business celebrates win over insurers refusing to pay out over Covid

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Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Small businesses that bought policies from insurers specifically against disease celebrated today now that the High Court has sided with them.
The Financial Conduct Authority took a test case to the High Court, legally testing business interruption policies from eight insurers to see if they had to pay out.
Insurers argued that business interruption policies were null and void because Covid was not officially recognised as a disease when those policies were taken out.
But the High Court has ruled that insurers are liable to pay out in the majority of 21 different types of policy wording judges considered.
However, becasue each insurance policy must be considered on its own merits, this is far from a blanket rubber-stamp for insurers to pay out over Covid.
Fran Tremeer, a solicitor at Royds Withy King, predicted that any comfort for some businesses would be “short-lived” and that, despite being in a precarious situation since March, businesses will continue to be frustrated over uncertainty.
Indeed, insurers will continue to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court, predict lawyers. However, the result of any High Court appeal would not likely be handed down until 2021.
Stephen Netherway, head of insurance at law

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