Southampton City Council is introducing new Covid Marshals to encourage and support the public to follow COVID-19 safety guidance. Covid Marshals will patrol the city and district centres and will engage, explain and encourage businesses and members of the public to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines to help keep everyone safe.
What will Covid Marshals do?
- Engage, explain and encourage members of the public to follow COVID-19 guidelines
- Direct pedestrians and support businesses to manage queues and one-way systems
- Help prevent mixing between groups in public spaces
- Remind members of the public to wear a face covering where required (unless exempt) and provide advice on how to wear face coverings
- Visit businesses; to review COVID-19 safety compliance
- Provide advice aligned to Government guidance and signposting businesses to this guidance
- Review and promote visibility of COVID-19 Secure messaging in business premises
Do Covid Marshals have enforcement powers?
Southampton Covid Marshals will engage, explain and encourage compliance with COVID-19 guidelines. They do not have any formal enforcement powers. The Council’s Environmental Health Officers and Hampshire Constabulary have powers to take enforcement action against a business or individual if appropriate.
Where necessary, Southampton Covid Marshals may report information to the Environmental Health Service or Police to consider enforcement action.
Steps to reporting a Covid Compliance Concern
- Act in a covid secure way and always at the first instance, keep yourself safe
- Report your concerns with the business manager directly, in a covid secure way
- Report a Covid Compliance Concern using our online form
Report a Covid compliance concern
- In the event where concerns involve large unlawful gatherings within private or public spaces, or concerns that require enforcement of the law, please report to Hampshire police
