Meeting Friends and Family
- You must not socialise indoors – or in a private garden or at most outdoor venues – with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble
- You can socialise in groups of up to six people in some outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches and public gardens.
- Support bubbles can be formed between one household and another which contains only one adult – with some exceptions.
- Children can continue to move between homes if their parents are separated.
Going to Work
- You should work at home if at all possible.
- If you have to return to your workplace, your employer must make arrangements for you to work safely.
Schools and Nurseries
- Primary and secondary schools are open, as are nurseries and childcare.
- If a school has coronavirus cases, local health protection teams will advise what to do.
- All pupils and staff in secondary schools (Year 7 and above) must wear face coverings in communal areas outside the classroom.
Leisure Time
- Pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes are closed, except for takeaway, drive-through and delivery services.
- Entertainment venues including theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, are closed.
- Organised activities for elite athletes, the under-18s and disabled people will continue.
- Spectators are not allowed at sports events and live performances.
- Leisure facilities such as gyms and swimming pools are open, but group exercise classes cannot be held there. Saunas and steam rooms must also stay closed.
- Exercise classes and organised adult sport can take place outdoors, but higher-risk contact activity should be avoided
- Hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites are closed except in certain circumstances (such as where they are someone’s main residence, or where it is essential to stay there for work purposes).
- There is no limit on the time allowed for exercise outdoors or, for example, for sitting on a park bench or eating and drinking outside.
Shopping
- All shops and retail outlets can open.
- Close contact services – such as hairdressing and beauty parlours – can reopen, as long as they are Covid-secure.
Other
- Places of worship can open for communal services, but people should not mix with anyone from outside their household or support bubble.
- Weddings and civil partnerships can take place with up to 15 guests; wedding receptions are still not allowed.
- Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. Linked ceremonial events can continue with up to 15 people.
- You should avoid travelling outside your area if possible.
Christmas rules
- From 23 to 27 December you can form a “Christmas bubble” composed of people from no more than three households. The government says this is a maximum number, “not a target to aim for”.
- If you have already formed a support bubble with another household, that counts as one household, so you can join with two other households in a Christmas bubble.
- You can only be in one Christmas bubble and you cannot swap between bubbles.
- You can travel across tiers and UK nations to meet people in your Christmas bubble.
- You can meet people in your Christmas bubble in private homes or gardens, places of worship or public outdoor spaces. You can also stay overnight at each other’s homes.
- However, while it is allowed, the government advises people to avoid travelling from tier 3 areas to other places and only to stay overnight with someone else if necessary.
- You cannot go to the pub with members of your Christmas bubble.
- If you form a Christmas bubble, you should not meet socially in your home or garden with people who are not in the bubble.
The rules above are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in our area.
Always check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK. The full details for Tier 3 can be found here
All the guidance comes from national government and local authority websites.
For more information on national measures see: Coronavirus rules
