Lloyd’s has reopened its London Underwriting Room, with daily capacity reduced to 45%, face masks mandatory in common areas and social distancing rules in place.

The room reopened last Tuesday, more than five months after it was closed on March 19 in line with UK Government advice on limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Operations have restarted with perspex screens installed between desks, direction arrows on the floor and arrangements in place throughout the building to minimise social contact.

Deep cleaning of the entire underwriting room and shared spaces will also take place every 30 days using a “fogging technique”, while high-touch points will be cleaned regularly through the course of the day.

Lloyd’s is also making changes to accommodate an expected increase in the number of people cycling to work and has provided more outdoor cafe seating.

“The health and safety of all market participants and minimising the spread of the COVID-19 virus remain the principal priorities,” Lloyd’s said.