On Saturday 31 October, the Prime Minister announced that England would go into a four week lockdown from Thursday 5 November to Wednesday 2 December.
The finer details of the proposed lockdown are still to be published but the main points are as follows:
- Stay at home โ you should only leave your house for specific purposes, including to go to work (if itโs not possible to work from home), to go shopping for essential items, for medical reasons (to attend appointments, collect medication from the pharmacy etc), visit members of your support bubble or care for vulnerable people, and to exercise outdoors with members of your household or support bubble.ย
- Staying safe outside the home (Social Distancing) โ you should minimise time spent outside your home and when around other people ensure that you are two metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.
- Meeting family and friends โ you should not meet indoors or in private gardens with anyone who is not part of your household or support bubble. You can exercise or visit outdoor public places with the people you live with, your support bubble, or 1 person from another household. Outdoor public places include parks, beaches, countryside, public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them), allotments, and playgrounds.
- Businesses and venues โ all but essential shops will close, as will leisure, entertainment and personal care facilities. Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services will remain open.
- Going to work โ you should work from home if you are able to do so. Those who continue to go to work should follow social distancing guidelines.
- Shielding โ there wonโt be a return to the shielding programme that was in place during the first lockdown. Instead, anyone over the age of 60 or who is clinically vulnerable should be especially careful in following the social distancing rules and minimise their contact with others. Those who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable should not go to work. The government will write to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
- Visiting relatives in care homes โ guidance on this will be published later this week.
- Overnight stays โ these will not be allowed. It means you cannot stay in a second home, if you own one, or staying with anyone you do not live with or are in a support bubble with. There are specific exceptions, for example if you need to stay away from home (including in a second home) for work purposes. Guest rooms should therefore be closed.
- Property safety checks/repairs โ repair work and essential safety checks can still be carried out on properties so long as social distancing is observed.
- Moving home โ the housing market remains open and people are free to move home should they wish to do so. Social distancing should be observed when viewing properties and interviews should be carried out via phone or videoconferencing.
Full details about the new restrictions can be found here.
We will publish further updates over the coming days to reflect new government guidance as it is published.
Posted 2 November 20