Scarborough, Whitby and Filey shops pulling out all the stops ready for Monday reopening

The authority says it will also erect “eye-catching signage” advising people to maintain social distancing, practice good hand hygiene, pick up their litter and pay by contactless payment where possible.

The messages will feature on street signs and lamppost banners, in shop windows and on floor stickers.

A spokesman for the council added: “We are installing 30 hand sanitiser units throughout the three towns to help people keep their hands clean when they are out and about.

“Ambassadors are being employed to operate in the town centres and busy seafront areas to offer advice and help businesses and customers to remain COVID-19 safe.

“Selected road closures and on-street parking suspensions on busy days will be deployed by North Yorkshire County Council, to help manage flows of people and help them to maintain the crucial social distancing.

“We are emailing a guidance document to around 5,000 businesses on our database.

“The document covers top tips for operating as a COVID-19 safe business.

"It includes signposts to official government guidance and practical measures that businesses should adopt for inside and outside their premises.

"The document is also available to download from our business pages.

“The interventions we are deploying are government-funded as part of the national agenda to support the reopening of town centre high streets.

The council says it also wants to hear from retailers about their plans for operating as a Covid-19 safe business in order to allow best practices and also challenges to be shared so that the borough’s communities can support each other.

Cllr Liz Colling, cabinet member for Inclusive Growth, added: “Next Monday will be an exciting and anxious day for everyone as we all learn to adapt to a new normal.

“Many local retail businesses are pulling out all the stops to be ready to open safely and we are doing everything we can to support their efforts.

“The package of measures we are introducing are designed to support retailers and their customers to get back to trading and shopping as soon as possible and operate in a safe way to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“We know we are at the start of a long road, but we are committed to working with businesses and our partners to progress the economic recovery of our borough in the months ahead.”