Important information about Coronavirus

12 May 2020

Following the revised government guidance on Sunday 10th May regarding the easing of lockdown restrictions, here is an update on what is happening here in Dorset.

The government has advised that people can now travel with members of their own household to spend time outdoors and we are aware that people might be keen to visit Dorset’s beauty spots, beaches and country parks. However, we are asking visitors to please think twice before travelling to Dorset for now.

The vast majority of our hospitality businesses including pubs, cafes and restaurants remain closed until at least 4th July and not all car parks and toilets are open so facilities for visitors are currently extremely limited.  We very much look forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful county when the time is right but for now let us continue to bring Dorset to you, help prevent the spread of Coronavirus and protect the safety and wellbeing of our Dorset residents as well as you, our visitors.

Dorset Council are continuing to monitor and review the situation with partners, including Dorset Police.

Detailed information can be found on the Dorset Council website

27 March 2020

As the Coronavirus situation intensifies, the Government response on 23rd March 2020 is to instruct people to stay at home to limit the spread of COVID-19.

For this reason, please ignore any content on our website that encourages you to get out and about.  In normal times we know that you all enjoy visiting and exploring Dorset and there will be a time in the future that we are able to do so again but for the time being it is clear that the best thing to do is stay at home and stay safe.

Non-essential businesses are also following Government advice and are therefore closed at the current time so please also ignore business opening hours on individual business entries.

The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.

23 March 2020

Dorset Council is asking visitors and second-home owners to help stop the spread of Coronavirus by staying away from tourist hotspot locations in Dorset.

To help minimise the spread of the virus Dorset Council will shortly be closing its country parks and open spaces. This unprecedented move follows other organisations such as the National Trust which closed its gates to the public this weekend.

The plea for visitors to stay away comes after a sunny weekend in the county which saw many hundreds of people congregating on beaches, on proms and other well-known tourist attractions. Car parks along the coast were full yesterday as people were keen to get outdoors.

Essential travel, the Department for Health and Social Care said, “does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays.”

Central government has also indicated that if the general public continue to ignore social-distancing advice then more stringent measures may be introduced, including a total lockdown on social movement.

Cllr Tony Alford, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Customer, Community and Regulatory services, said: “We need everyone to help us stop the spread of coronavirus by staying at home and not visiting Dorset’s tourist hotspots for the time being. This particularly applies to day-trippers and second-home owners, who might wish to come to Dorset to isolate themselves.

“We must treat the advice of experts seriously. The impending closure of our country parks will, we believe, help stop the spread of this virus.

“Over the weekend, we’ve seen pictures of people gathering in large numbers at West Bay, on our beach fronts and our coastal paths, which we find very worrying. Not only were these people gathering in groups but clearly the two-metre distance advice was not being heeded.

“Dorset is a rural county and any additional visitors to Dorset during the pandemic are likely to put even more pressure on our NHS and other essential public services, not to mention supermarkets which are already facing challenges maintaining social-distancing rules.

“I strongly urge people to stay at home during this unprecedented period of uncertainty. It’s so important that we listen to the Government’s advice.”

Visit Dorset advise members of the public that have already booked a trip to Dorset to contact their accommodation provider directly for further advice regarding cancellation terms, and hope that visitors will choose to reschedule their trip once it is safe to do so.

The council is keen to encourage people to get outside if they can safely do so. Fresh air and exercise is good for people’s mental and physical health, but the advice is that if you go outside for a walk or exercise, you must observe the safe two-metre distance from others.

Cllr Gary Suttle, the council’s portfolio holder for economic growth and skills, said:

“We are aware that the travel restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of the virus is having a damaging effect on tourism and hospitality businesses in Dorset. We know that businesses are suffering, doors are closing, and redundancies are already being made.

“We want to reassure businesses that we are working with Government and through our partners locally, to help businesses get urgent access to financial help and other packages of support. Dorset Council website is being constantly updated with information specifically for businesses and I would encourage anyone with concerns or questions to have a look at those pages.

“Welcoming visitors back to Dorset will play a key part in our economic recovery but for now, we must protect Dorset’s NHS and essential front-line services by asking visitors to stay away.”