Cornwall Council insists the safety of its residents and businesses will remain its top priority as the Duchy prepares to welcome back visitors next month.
It says its public protection team, in conjunction with Visit Cornwall, are working with businesses to ensure they are Covid-safe, which may involve changes to ensure social distancing, along with enhanced hygiene measures.
“Thanks to the fantastic efforts of the council, our partners and of course the NHS, Cornwall has been lucky to avoid the worst of the virus so far,” said Cornwall Council leader, Julian German.
“It means we can now look forward to restarting our visitor economy, and begin to welcome holidaymakers once more, providing the number of cases does not begin to rise.
“The tourist industry is vital for Cornwall, and is responsible for tens of thousands of jobs, many of which are currently furloughed.
“We will be cautious and protecting our residents will always be our first priority. We will be asking visitors to pay as much care and attention to the rules as our residents have already done throughout lockdown.
“Our public health team will continue to monitor the situation very carefully and we will not hesitate to take early action if there is any sign that the virus is making a comeback.”
Cornwall’s interim director of public health, Rachel Wigglesworth, said: “Since the start of the crisis, we have kept an incredibly close eye on the spread of the virus through Cornwall, and so far, it has been slow, and has not risen since the beginning of the easing of lockdown restrictions.
“We will be urging people to remain cautious and to follow the public health messaging around social distancing and maintaining good hygiene.
“The relaxing of the lockdown does not mean the danger from the virus has gone away, and we will be monitoring the situation closely and encouraging testing and contact tracing to control any new cases.”
