Ceredigion Council has issued a reminder to businesses that they have a duty to allow a worker to self-isolate in line with regulations.

While most businesses continue to take simple precautions to protect their customers and the community, reports have been received that some businesses have been allowing or even asking staff to return to work, when they should be self-isolating.

Businesses are warned that if they allow workers to return before the end of the self-isolation period stipulated by the Test, Trace and Protect Team, then their business may face immediate closure.

Businesses that fail to respect an employee’s duty to isolate will breach the requirements of the coronavirus restrictions regulations. The regulations require that businesses must both allow and enable a person who ordinarily works at the premises to self-isolate due to testing positive for coronavirus or having had close contact with somebody who has tested positive. Even if a lateral flow test is negative, they must still self-isolate if they have been in close contact with someone who has coronavirus. They may still have the virus and be infectious.

The worker or employee must be allowed to self-isolate for a period specified in a notification given to the person by a contact tracer. Negative lateral flow test results do not take precedence over a notification from a contact tracer to self-isolate. Anyone breaching the requirement to self-isolate may commit an offence. Businesses failing to allow or enable a worker or employee to self-isolate may be subject to immediate premises closure. Until any changes are introduced, it is essential that anyone who is asked to self-isolate does so.

If a person has Covid-19 symptoms, they need to self-isolate immediately and book a PCR test on the Welsh Government website https://gov.wales/get-tested-coronavirus-covid-19 or call 119.