Coronavirus: advice issued to Horsham shoppers

Swan Walk shopping centre manager Gill Buchanan said the safety of customers is a priority during the ‘worrying time’ with toilets available in the centre and in Marks & Spencer and Next.

She added: “We understand that this is a worrying time for many and are pleased to see Horsham customers continuing to support their local business community while taking appropriate precautions.

“Situations such as this are extremely dynamic and should the current status change for any reason we will update our communications to our customers and retailers alike.”

The latest figures given by Public Health England show there have been three confirmed cases of coronavirus in West Sussex.

One of Horsham’s largest employers, RSA, has said it is following government advice and putting safeguards in place around international travel and domestic inter-office travel.

A spokesman said: “We have robust business continuity plans to ensure we can continue to support our customers should employees be required to adopt a different way of working for a period of time. We continue to monitor the situation closely as it develops.”

The firm successfully completed a working from home test day on Friday and has asked all staff to refrain from attending conferences and large scale hospitality events. It said it restricted inter-office visits to only essential ones and has an open dialogue with staff about travel and working patterns. The firm added that it would continue to provide support and guidance as the situation evolves.