• high temperature–this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

• new, continuous cough–this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

• loss or change to your sense of smell or taste–this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal please do not attempt to hide any of these symptoms our staff are here to help you and will advise in what to do in order to help you and others!

• Please Note -For the safety of others, anyone exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 will be unable to stay at the hostel. We recommend you return home if travelling domestically or to use specialist self-isolation accommodation. Hight Risk PersonsIf you are in the high-risk category in line with government guidelines we recommend you stay home. To find out if you are high risk, please follow this link https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/whos-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/

• Handwashing, Hand Sanitizing, and Hand CareStaff and guests must –Sanitise every time you enter the building from being outside regardless of the trip’s purpose using the sanitisers in the entrance of the building.

• Please wash your hands after going to the toilet, blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, etc.

• Whenever you cough or sneeze do so into a tissue or toilet paper and then dispose of it appropriately by putting it directly into the bin and wash hands. If you do not have a tissue please sneeze or cough into your elbow.

• These must be disposed of appropriately to ensure they cannot transmit the virus. Put directly into bins or flush down the toilet and then wash your hands.

• Please use the hand sanitisers provided regularly and when required to do so to minimise the risk of spreading the virus. These can be found in common areas and all landings. Washing your hands regularly and using high alcohol sanitising products will irritate your hands and can lead to cracks which will make them vulnerable to infection. Ensure you are moisturising your hands regularly, particularly after washing your hands to protect them from becoming too dry. Our hand sanitising products may have allergens in them please check with staff if you require to see the ingredients. General

• Follow all signage on display to ensure the safety of staff and fellow guests. The measures recommended by the World Health Organization or Public Health England may change day today, we will maintain them updated to ensure your safety.

• Please do not congregate through areas like corridors, lobbies, and building entrances please do so outside or areas where you are not preventing people from being able to social distance.

• Guests are encouraged to change their clothes in the bathroom as opposed to in the rooms to minimise the risk of contamination.

• All common areas are supplied with additional cleaning equipment. Although we will clean the building consistently throughout the day, please clean areas up before and after using them.

• A bottle of disinfectant and blue roll are available on every table in our dining areas and lounges please follow instructions on using them to do your bit and help keep the building virus-free! Please do not forget items like remote controls and keyboards if you happened to use them.

• Additional hours have been incorporated so that staff can clean bannisters, bathrooms, high use areas like luggage rooms and lounge. This includes the periodic cleaning of all handles and pushes plates around the building, but please ensure you are constantly washing or sanitizing your hands to minimise the risk of infection/contamination.

• Minimise contact with surfaces when possible, to do so.

Facilities Affected

• Reception hours –Reception will be manned between 8 am and 10 pm, please inform us beforehand of your arrival time so we can be ready for you! Although the desk will not be crewed, we will be available for you 24 hours a day by calling the number provided.

• Charity Breakfast-Breakfast will not be available until fully safe to do so, we will have a digital map available for your, so you can start your day with a delicious feast and other helpful info while around the city!

• Common Areas –Are open and available to use! These will be open between 8 am and midnight each day (up until 10 pm in Astor York).

• Smoking and vaping is prohibited on hostel grounds or on the entrance to the hostel. Guests and staff must walk away from the hostel while smoking and not block the entrance to any other private property, you may be fined £500 for doing so by the local council.

• Please follow signs in the laundry room and wash all clothes in a setting higher than 60 Degrees. Any clothes that aren’t possible to wash at this heat please use a sanitizing agent. If this is not possible bag the items, separate them from your regular clothes for 72 and then wash them as normal. Protective Equipment.

• Please use protective equipment in accordance with government guidelines. Using a mask when interacting with staff and fellow guests are encouraged when required to do so. Reception

• Please remain behind the protective screen, do not reach across it or pier over to ensure your safety and the safety of the staff members.

• When hiring a towel please ensure you return it to the designated area at the reception.

• No cash payments will be made while there is still a risk of catching COVID19. When possible payments will be contactless or regular card payments only.House Keeping

• Please help our housekeeping by avoiding the contamination of surfaces by cleaning your hands regularly as mentioned above.

• Guests are to vacate the rooms while rooms are being cleaned to allow housekeeping to disinfect all areas in the safest way possible. If you have mobility issues special arrangements will be made to ensure social distancing is being maintained. The cleaning times for your room will be posted on the door, please vacate the rooms or bathrooms during these times.

• Please bear in mind our highest contact areas in bedrooms and common rooms like -light switches, socket switches, door handles, push plates, taps, flush handles or buttons, hairdryer and iron, safe buttons, vending machine, etc if possible avoid using your hand directly to operate these and if possible disinfect before and after use.

• Guests must keep all of their belongings in their cages or allocated areas to avoid cross-contamination.

• Please keep rooms generally tidy and report any issues to reception.

• Any toiletries used must be put away after every use and not left in the bathroom. Any toiletries found will be considered abandoned and safely thrown away.

• When Checking-Out, take linen off of the bed and place it on top of the mattress. If guests showing symptoms Following the guidance of what Public Health England is at that moment. In the event, a guest is showing signs of Corona Virus they must be immediately isolated from the rest of the guests and team.

• If you feel you may have the symptoms of Corona Virus before arrival, you must go back home or seek specialist accommodation as our priority is ensuring the welfare of all of our guests and you will be unable to Check-In if presenting symptoms.

• If you become ill while at the hostel, report symptoms and illness to reception as soon as possible. This will help us isolate other guests and provide assistance as quickly as possible.

• If a guest is caught with symptoms and has not reported them it will force the closure of the entire room and the isolation of other guests in other rooms or contact areas, which the guest will be liable to pay for in addition to their own.

• Once reported guests must remain isolated from the rest of the hostel. We will order COVID-19teststo the hostel and guests must remain isolated until the results of these tests are returned If Negative

• Guests may continue their stay in the hostel (unless it was not reported you will be asked to leave with no refunds). If positive

• If a guest is unable to go home or specialist accommodation, he will be required to book a whole room for themselves in a private room and will incur additional costs for food being brought to the room.

• The guest will need to remain in the designated area and cannot visit any public spaces or areas outside of the specified space. Any guest found to break these rules will force the closure of further rooms and areas which will be charged.

• Guests may order take-away meals to reception and these will be left outside their door. Staff must wear appropriate PPE to protect themselves and the person self-isolating. The person isolating must not collect their own food from reception.

• All communication with reception will be done via the hostel’s Whatsapp number, during self-isolation they must not speak face to face to any staff member or other guests.

• Housekeeping will not be entering the room or providing any services for the room -Guests will be provided additional linen in case required. Please aim to use one set per week as every visit to the room increases the risk of spreading the virus, but change as many times as required.-Any additional items required please contact reception and we will arrange for them to deliver to your door.-Guest’s will be given large rubbish bags for disposal of any rubbish they have. An allocated collection time will be arranged with the guest; they are not to place it in the corridor or try to dispose of it themselves.-Guest may not have any visitors. In the event they need to be seen by a doctor they must follow the guidelines on Public HealthEngland and follow their instruction.-Check-out will be coordinated through the reception particularly if the guest is leaving at a different time than previously arranged in order to protect them and other guests and staff.-Check-out will be done remotely, please dispose of the key and place linen and towels in separate bags provided. -If the fire alarm sounds, normal evacuation procedures should be followed, and the guest is advised to leave the hotel and proceed to the fire assembly point. We will arrange for the guest to be supported and isolated from other guests at the assembly point.-Staff must always wear gloves and ask when disposing of the guests’ waste.

• If the symptoms intensify or are feeling like you can no longer cope contact 111 for assistance. If you feel your life is in danger and are struggling to breathe, contact 999.

• Any contents owned by guests in food cupboards will be given to the guests or disposed of using appropriate PPE. If they were in any reusable boxes or shelving areas they are to be deep cleaned and then returned to them.

• Use hand sanitiser regularly particularly after contact with a high contact surface like public service handles. Wash hands after going to the toilet, sneezing, coughing, putting contact lenses in or out, after handling laundry, before handling clean laundry, before and after preparing and eating food, after unpacking the delivery parcel or shopping, before bringing drinks or snacks into other households, before eating with your fingers, after handling refuse.

• Keep your hands away from your face and nose

• Do not shake hands•Stay as far part as you can and turn away from people on public transport if you can. Always follow the guidelines as stated above. If you are unsure on how to do something, how something works, or have any questions regarding general health and safety or something specific to Covid19, please see the building manager.