Skip to content

COVID-19 Updates 9th September 2020

  • Prime Minister’s Announcement

The key points from the Prime minister’s announcement this afternoon are:

Rule of Six

  • From Monday 14th September, the “rule of six” will be introduced in England which means that people will not be able to meet-up groups of more than six unless they are in a household (and support bubble) of more than 6 people
  • The Rule of Six replaces the existing bans on more than 30 meeting and the rule of only two households
  • Controlled Covid-secure premises (eg., restaurants, pubs, attractions, hotels) can host more than six people but individual groups visiting these premises must not be larger than 6 people
  • Two households can still meet up, but not if they make a group of more than six people.

Tourism and Hospitality Businesses

  • Pubs and restaurants (attractions were not mentioned but I presume that the detail will include these venues) will be legally required to take contact details of a member from each customer party, retain these details for 21 days, and provide them to NHS Test & Trace without delay when required.
  • The Government will support local authorities to make further and faster use of their powers to close venues that are breaking the rules and pose a risk to public health.
  • Fines will be levied against hospitality venues that fail to ensure their premises remain COVID Secure.

International Travel

  • Border Force will step up enforcement at the border to ensure arrivals are complying with the quarantine rules.
  • They will simplify the Passenger Locator Form needed for travelling to the UK, and take measures to ensure these are completed and checked before departure.

Conferences

  • Plans to allow conferences to go ahead from October will be “reviewed” with Oliver Dowden to make a further announcement on this soon.

New Tests

  • The government is looking at new tests, involving swabs or saliva, that can give results in 20 minutes – which would be extremely useful for stabilising international travel. This will be piloted in Salford for outdoor and indoor venues.

Chris Whitty has commented that these new rules are unlikely to be lifted within three weeks

Here’s a copy of the Prime Minister’s announcement:

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-press-conference-statement-9-september-2020

                And here’s the slides from the presentation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/slides-on-coronavirus-9-september-2020

  • Bounce-Back Plans for Consumer and Retail Industry

The Department for International Trade has announced new measures to help boost exports and increase British retail firms’ readiness to sell overseas, include creation of a Consumer and Retail Export Academy to help businesses export, via a digital learning syllabus.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bounce-back-plans-launched-for-consumer-and-retail-industry

  • CMA Position on Wedding Cancellations and Refunds

The CMA has published a position statement on how it believes the law operates in relation to wedding cancellations and refunds. It states that a wedding contract has been frustrated and the customer is entitled to a refund when going ahead with the wedding could breach lockdown laws including:

  • the restrictions imposed under the original lockdown laws in the early stages of the pandemic, which required wedding venues to close and prohibited people leaving their homes and attending gatherings
  • further restrictions imposed under revised lockdown laws, which limited the numbers of people who could attend a wedding
  • restrictions imposed by local lockdown laws, such as local laws that require venues to close or require people to stay at home
  • specific restrictions imposed by local authorities under their lockdown legal powers

It accepts that there can be exemptions to a full refund where goods and services have already been provided

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wedding-services-coronavirus-covid-19-cancellations-and-refunds/wedding-services-affected-by-covid-19-statement-of-the-cmas-position-on-cancellation-and-refunds#weddings-affected-by-legal-restrictions-and-government-guidance-which-may-be-able-to-go-ahead-in-some-cases

  • Local Lockdown Changes

Leicester

The following businesses are now permitted to reopen in the protected area

  • Indoor fitness and dance studios 
  • Indoor gyms  
  • Indoor sports courts and facilities 
  • Indoor swimming pools and indoor water parks 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/closing-certain-businesses-and-venues-in-leicester

Bolton

Further restrictions have been introduced in Bolton

  • All businesses providing food and drink will be restricted to takeaway only
  • Late-night restriction of operating hours, meaning venues will be required to close between 10pm and 5am
  • The ban on mixing outside households in homes and in public outdoor settings will be enforceable by law

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/stronger-measures-brought-in-to-tackle-virus-in-bolton

  • Air Corridors

From today people arriving from the following Greek Islands will have to undertake Quarantine for two weeks.

Crete

Lesvos

Mykonos

Santorini

Serifos

Tinos

Zakynthos

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors

Hartley Hartley-Scarff
Back To Top