AFTER being closed for four months due to the coronavirus, Butlin’s in Minehead will reopen next Friday (July 24), the company announced this week. But guests were warned to expect changes as part of massive precautions to keep holidaymakers safe.

Although the fairground will reopen, there will be limited numbers on each ride and guests will be asked to sanitise their hands when entering and leaving rides. Some attractions, including the super-slide, helter-skelter and dodgems, will remained closed.

The resort’s swimming pools will be open but there will be limits to the numbers allowed in changing rooms, guests will have to book sessions and there will a one-way system for entering and leaving the water.

To ensure guests’ safety, accommodation will be cleaned, sanitised and sealed before they arrive. There will also be a Somerset County Council pop-up Covid-19 testing centre on the site and a new circus-style tent will present live shows in a safe environment.

A Butlin’s spokesman said: “Now the Government has given us the go-ahead to put on outdoor performances this summer, we’re pulling out all the stops with shows from big star names on new outdoor stages, indoor venues for cinema-style screenings and an entertainment schedule full to the brim.

“We are very much looking forward to welcoming back our guests and have used all the skills and creativity of our teams to plan a break that keeps everyone safe while giving guests the range of activities and entertainment they have come to expect.”