Tues 3 November 2020
Following the Prime Minister’s Statement to the House yesterday (Mon 2 Nov) the measures for this lockdown are expected to be passed by the House of Commons tomorrow (Weds 4 Nov).
The national lockdown will then start on Thurs Nov 5 and is anticipated to last for 4 weeks, ending on Weds Dec 2, subject to Government review.
This lockdown is not the same as last time and more businesses will be able to continue to operate.
Financial support:
The Government has extended the support schemes and deadlines for businesses, self-employed people and sole traders to apply for job protection schemes, grants and loans. Find out what financial support you can get from Government for your business here.
Key Restrictions
Note: a full list of the business closures will be published and set out in Law on or after Wednesday when they are passed by the House of Commons:
The public must stay at home from Thurs 5 Nov, only leaving home for specific reasons, including:
- For education
- For work, say if you cannot work from home
- For exercise and recreation outdoors, with your household or on your own with one person from another household
- For medical reasons, appointments and to escape injury or harm
- To shop for food and essentials
- To provide care for vulnerable people, or as a volunteer
Workplaces should stay open where people can’t work from home – for example in the construction or manufacturing sectors.
To reduce social contact, the Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close. These include:
- all non-essential retail, including, but not limited to clothing and electronics stores, vehicle showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops.
- indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks,
- entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, concert halls, zoos and other animal attractions, botanical gardens;
- personal care facilities such as hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons.
Businesses and organisations allowed to remain open include:
- Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services can remain open. Essential retail should follow COVID-secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and workers.
- Non-essential retail can remain open for delivery to customers and click-and-collect.
- Hospitality venues like restaurants, bars and pubs must close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery services. However, takeaway of alcohol will not be allowed.
- Hotels, hostels and other accommodation should only open for those who have to travel for work purposes and for a limited number of other exemptions which will be set out in law.
- Some venues will be allowed to remain open for specific exempt activities, like childcare and support groups. Support groups that are essential to deliver in person can continue with up to 15 participants where formally organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support. This includes support to victims of crime, people in drug and alcohol recovery, new parents and guardians, people with long-term illnesses, people facing issues relating to their sexuality or gender, and those who have suffered bereavement.
See the full list of (proposed) restrictions and guidelines here.
Tourism Specific Guidance
For Dorset’s tourism industry, the press release on the PM’s statement on the upcoming national restrictions outlined further details applicable to tourism. The key points to note are:
- There is no exemption for staying away from home on holiday. This means people cannot travel internationally or within the UK, unless for work, education or other legally permitted exemptions. Overnight stays away from primary residences will not be allowed, except for specific exceptions including for work.
- Inbound international travel will continue to be governed by the travel corridor approach, and those currently on a domestic holiday will be allowed to finish their holidays, but are still subject to the requirements in England not to go out without a reasonable excuse.
This information will be updated as matters progress. Meanwhile you can also subscribe to our social media channels (Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook), where we are publishing current information.