Suffolk Resilience Forum: Don't invite Covid-19 into your home
Tradespeople and their customers are being reminded to keep themselves safe from coronavirus
Suffolk Resilience Forum (SRF) is reminding traders and customers to help prevent the spread of coronavirus when carrying out work.
Under lockdown restrictions, workers such as plumbers, electricians and gardeners are permitted to carry out internal work on homes and businesses.
As one in three people may have Covid-19 without knowing it, the SRF says people must follow Government guidelines and apply common sense.
People are asked to follow steps that include agreeing in advance what work will be done and what precautions need to be taken, avoiding entering a home unless necessary for work, wearing face masks and maintaining social distance, and ensuring work areas are clean before and after.
Graham Crisp, joint leader of the SRF's Safer Places work group and Head of Suffolk Trading Standers, said: "Traders and customers have a responsibility to each other, to minimise the risk of spreading the virus.
"Have a chat before any work is carried out and ask what COVID-19 precautions need to be put in place. As a customer, if you are not happy and do not feel safe, simply look for another trader.
"The Government also states that door-to-door sales should not take place, and sales activities should be conducted remotely such as by phone, online, or mail. Trading Standards’ advice is always to refuse any suggested work on your property from anyone that knocks on your door or contacts you out of the blue.
"Always ask friends and family for recommended traders, and do not agree to work on your property without a second opinion. Unfortunately, the pandemic has created many new scams, we must all be aware that these fraudsters continue to operate and prey on the vulnerable."
More information on working safely during the pandemic can be found on the Government's website.