Covid-19 update 22.09.20

With the rate for new Covid-19 cases set to double within the next 7 – 20 days and the possibility of 10s of thousands of new infections predicted next month, today the PM set out additional measures for England with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland putting similar if not more stringent measures in place.

The Covid-19 alert scale was raised from 3 to 4 yesterday, and although there are no plans to return to the lock down that started in March, the infection rate needs to be reduced and so:

• Education settings will stay open
• Businesses will stay open (trading in a Covid-19 compliant manner)
• Office workers should work from home where possible, in other sectors they should continue to attend their work places -e.g: retail / construction
• From Thursday, all pubs, bars and restaurants will be table service only apart from takeaways
• All hospitality venues will all have to be closed at 10pm
• Takeaway will have to be closed by 10pm as well, however, deliveries can continue after 10pm
• Face coverings need to be used in retail and indoor hospitality apart form when customers are eating or drinking
• From Monday, a maximum of 15 people will be able to go to weddings and up to 30 people for funerals
• Indoor sports will have to be played with no more than 6 people
• The re-opening of sports events and exhibitions, originally planned for the 1st of Oct, has been paused
• Rules will be enforced by tighter penalties, fines will be applied to businesses who break the rules.
• There will be more police on the streets
• There are already additional measures in place in localities across the UK
• If all actions mean that the R rate fails to fall below 1 then further restrictions will be put in place
• The Government are developing new forms of mass testing and vaccines
• These restrictions may stay in place for at least 6 months

The Government are due to be releasing additional guidance for the food & drink sector and we will share this with you as soon as we have it.

• You can read the PM’s statement on the rules for England here
• The updated rules for Scotland here
• The latest news for Wales here
• The latest rules for Northern Ireland here