Residents of Barking and Dagenham will see new Covid Marshals patrolling areas with high footfall providing guidance and reassurance across the borough.
Officers, wearing highly visible Covid Marshal jackets, are already patrolling the borough’s streets to offer guidance and advice to businesses and residents on staying safe, obeying the rules and acting responsibly during the pandemic, including providing information on social distancing and the wearing of face coverings.
The Marshals will also support the council’s enforcement officers with:
- Monitoring numbers visiting businesses to ensure social distancing
- Ensuring signage is visible and correctly positioned in business premises
- Managing queues in public spaces
- Explaining coronavirus restrictions in detail to people
- Distributing public information material and guidance where appropriate and directed by the council.
Councillor Margaret Mullane, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Unfortunately we’re now back in lockdown and we understand this isn’t what anybody wants, but even more so now, we need to carry on working together to beat the virus.
“Throughout this lockdown, we will continue to work with residents to keep them safe and the introduction of our new Covid Marshals will play a massive part in this. If you’re out and about and you’re unsure about any of the rules, please do ask our Covid Marshals as they’re there to help.”
The Covid Marshals are currently out in the borough providing guidance to residents and businesses, however, they don’t have any enforcement powers and will report any concerns to the enforcement team and police where necessary.