Marshals will soon be on hand in town centres across Allerdale to offer extra support and help keep residents, visitors and businesses safe during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The marshals, referred to as ‘Covid marshals’ by some, will be present in all of the seven towns across the borough from tomorrow (December 2) to encourage social distancing, assist with queues in public areas, provide advice on relevant Covid-19 guidance and more.
The role of the marshals will be accompanied by signage in the town centres to further remind people about the importance of social distancing in keeping each other safe. The marshals will also continue their successful support the operation of a one-way system in Keswick on market days.
The marshals will be in operation thanks to Government funding provided to Allerdale Borough Council, and other borough/district councils, to support compliance and enforcement of Covid-19 regulations.
Following a tender process, a local company will be providing the marshals who will also liaise with officers from the council and Cumbria Police where necessary.
Cllr Mike Johnson, the council’s deputy leader, said: “Ensuring our town centres are safe is hugely important not just from a public health point of view but also in giving residents and visitors confidence to visit our high streets and shop local this Christmas.
“The introduction of marshals is just one of the many ways we’re supporting our communities and businesses throughout these challenging times and I’d urge everyone to continue to play their part in keeping our area safe.”
From 12.01am on Wednesday Allerdale and the rest of Cumbria will be placed into Tier 2 (High Alert) of the local coronavirus restrictions. To find out more about the restrictions go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know or for local information go to https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/coronavirus/.
