The Government announced on 23 March new measures that require everyone to stay at home, except in a limited number of circumstances. This followed the requirement for businesses and other venues to close introduced on 20 March.
The measures are detailed in full below:
New rules on staying at home and away from others
The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.
When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection. That is why the government instruction is for us to.
- Stay at home, except for very limited purposes
- Close non-essential shops and community spaces
- Stop all gatherings of more than two people in public
Every citizen must comply with these new measures. The relevant authorities, including the police, will be given the powers to enforce them – including through fines and dispersing gatherings.
1. Stay at home
You should only leave the house for one of four reasons:
- Shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible.
- One form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household.
- Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
- Travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home.
These four reasons are exceptions - even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.
These measures must be followed by everyone. Separate advice is available for individuals or households who are isolating, and for the most vulnerable who need to be shielded.
If you work in a critical sector outlined in this guidance, or your child has been identified as vulnerable, you can continue to take your children to school.
2. Closing non-essential shops and public spaces
Last week, the Government ordered certain businesses - including pubs, cinemas and theatres - to close.
The Government is now extending this requirement to a further set of businesses and other venues, including:
- all non-essential retail stores - this will include clothing and electronics stores; hair, beauty and nail salons; and outdoor and indoor markets, excluding food markets.
- libraries, community centres, and youth centres.
- indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, arcades and soft play facilities.
- communal places within parks, such as playgrounds, sports courts and outdoor gyms.
- places of worship, except for funerals attended by immediate families.
- hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers).
3. Stopping public gatherings
To make sure people are staying at home and apart from each other, the Government is also stopping all public gatherings of more than two people.
There are only two exceptions to this rule:
- where the gathering is of a group of people who live together - this means that a parent can, for example, take their children to the shops if there is no option to leave them at home.
- where the gathering is essential for work purposes - but workers should be trying to minimise all meetings and other gatherings in the workplace.
In addition, the Government is stopping social events, including weddings, baptisms and other religious ceremonies. This excludes funerals, which can be attended by immediate family.
Businesses and other venues subject to further social distancing measures
That is why the government has given clear guidance on self-isolation, household isolation, social distancing, and asked that schools only remain open for those children who absolutely need to attend.
This guidance is helping reduce the spread of the virus and reduce the mounting pressure on our National Health Service, allowing those most acutely affected with coronavirus (COVID-19) to access the care they need.
While the public has already made a huge effort to avoid unnecessary social contact, we are now at a stage where we need to go further.
The government has instructed that the following businesses and other venues across the United Kingdom should close:
- Food and drink venues for consumption on-site, such as restaurants and cafes –noting the exception for takeaway and delivery services discussed below.
- Drinking establishments, including pubs, bars and nightclubs – noting the exception for takeaway and delivery services discussed below.
- Entertainment venues, including cinemas, theatres, concert halls and bingo halls.
- Museums and galleries.
- Spas, wellness centres and massage parlours.
- Casinos and betting shops.
All indoor leisure and sports facilities, including gyms.
These businesses and other venues must close as they involve prolonged close social contact, which increases the chances of infection spreading.
Takeaway and delivery facilities should remain open and operational. Planning regulation will be changed to enable restaurants, cafes and pubs which do not currently offer delivery and hot food takeaway to do so. This will be clearly communicated by the government when in effect.
Those venues offering takeaway or delivery services must not include alcoholic beverages in this list if their license does not already permit. Any forthcoming changes to licensing for delivery and takeaway will be clearly communicated by the government.
Compliance
Everyone has a duty to comply with the advice provided by the government in relation to COVID-19, in order to protect both themselves and others.
The government expects all businesses and other venues that are in the list above to comply with this request. The government will keep in close contact with local partners to understand what is happening in their areas to inform further decisions on this matter.
Where necessary, the government will move to enforce compliance with these measures by law.
Further information
This guidance will be updated regularly as the situation develops. For businesses and others who have further questions related to this guidance, or the measures outlined within the guidance, please visit government website.