Track and trace to return with businesses encouraged to refuse entry to customers that will not check-in

It is understood that it will be mandatory for hospitality operators to reintroduce track and trace when doors reopen to customers from April until at least September, and businesses will be encouraged to refuse entry for customers who do not agree to check-in.

Dan Brookman, chief executive of hospitality tech platform Airship, spoke with the government's NHS Test & Trace and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) team on Friday afternoon, in which it was confirmed that all restaurants, bars, pubs, cafés and other close-contact businesses in England will be required to keep a record of the customers that visit their establishments.

It has also been confirmed that all guests will be required to check-in, a change from last year where only the lead booker needed to provide their details. Track and trace will also be required for guests who sit outdoors as well as indoors, including beer gardens and pavements.

The guidance is expected to be announced during the next government briefing on Monday 5 April.

As a result, Airship has relaunched its track and trace solution Trck.to, which is used at more than 11,000 venues across the UK including Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger, Greggs and Caffè Nero.

Brookman said: "I'm truly disappointed that track and trace will be required for reopening the sector. The contact data previously gathered was not used and the effort of operators and inconvenience to customers went to waste. The only benefit for businesses is that they will be able to include an option for customers to opt-in to receive communications, which will help to grow databases that have been decimated over the last 12 months."

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