COVID-19 Update 14th October 2020
Here’s today’s update with more details on the new three tier Coronavirus Alert system including a FAQ that will provide answers to most questions
- Legislation
The legislation underpinning the new 3 tier alert system has been published. There are three pieces of legislation that apply to the different Alert levels. The important part of the each of the regulations is Schedule 1 which sets out the restrictions related to each of the alert levels:
- Very High Alert
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1105/made
- High Alert
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1104/made
- Medium Alert
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1103/made
To help you navigate your way through this attached is a copy of a excellent FAQ that UKHospitality, BBPA and BII have produced that explains the alert levels and the restrictions associated with them.
- Lockdown in Northern Ireland
A lockdown has been announced in Northern Ireland, the main components of which are as follows:
- Social bubbles will be limited to a maximum of 10 people from two households;
- No overnight stays in a private home unless in a bubble;
- Closure of the hospitality sector apart from deliveries and takeaways for food, with the existing closing time of 11.00pm remaining.
- Other takeaway premises will be brought in line with hospitality with a closing time of 11.00pm;
- Close contact services such as hairdressers and beauticians are not permitted to open, apart from those relating to the continuation of essential health interventions and therapeutics.
- No indoor sport of any kind or organised contact sport involving household mixing other than at elite level;
- No mass events involving more than 15 people (except for allowed outdoor sporting events where the relevant number for that will continue to apply);
- Gyms may remain open but for individual training only with local enforcement in place;
- Funerals to be limited to 25 people with no pre- or post-funeral gatherings;
- Off licenses and supermarkets will not sell alcohol after 8.00pm;
- Wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships to be limited to 25 people with no receptions. This will be implemented on Monday 19 October. Venues providing the post-ceremony or partnership celebration this weekend may remain open for this purpose but may not provide other services for people who are not part of the wedding or partnership party and this will be limited to 25;
- Retail sector will stay open at this time
The following advice will also be added to the existing health guidance:
- Work from home unless unable to do so;
- Universities and further education to deliver distance learning to the maximum extent possible with only essential face to face learning where that is a necessary and unavoidable part of the course;
- No unnecessary travel should be undertaken.
- Wales Plans to Restrict Entry
The Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford has announced that he is planning to ban visitors to Wales from high-Covid areas of England and would look to act on this by the end of the week if the UK government continued to refused to stop people travelling from English Covid hotspots. It is unclear as to whether such a ban, if introduced, would apply to just areas of England under Very High Alert or would be used more widely.
- Transport Use
DFT’s weekly transport use update has been published and shows that public transport use remains static with national rail usage being a third of normal and bus use still down by over 40%
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/transport-use-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic
- Updated Wedding Guidance
The Guidance on weddings has been updated to incorporate recent changes including the reduction of attendees at weddings to no more than 15 people.
- Questions In Parliament
Shadow Tourism Minister, Alex Sobel MP, has tabled the following questions in response to the Government’s announcement on Liverpool being classified as a Very High Alert (VHA) area
- Updating Festival Guidance
Updated guidance on festivals has been developed by a coalition of industry bodies including the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), the Association of Festival Organisers (AFO), the Events Industry Forum (EIF) and Attitude Is Everything with input from DCMS and PHE. This guidance outlines planning considerations with the purpose of supporting festival organisers as well as relevant authorities and agencies in taking a bespoke risk assessment approach, where events are able to follow Government guidance and regulations.
It covers eight key themes and Covid-19 safety measures, including medical and welfare arrangements; crowd considerations; response plans; security; site adjustments; and specific mitigation measures. The guidance is available on The Purple Guide website – www.thepurpleguide.co.uk and will be updated regularly. Supplementary guidance on staging music festivals is available on the following link Music Festivals – COVID-19 Supplementary Guidance
- Kickstart Promotional Material
Promotional material including a guide for employers, videos and posters have been produced to support the Government’s Kickstart initiative which is a £2 billion fund dedicated to creating hundreds of thousands of high quality 6-month work placements for young people.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/kickstart-scheme-promotional-materials
Related Posts
