Main points from today
- The PM led the special briefing today. He said:-
- We are now reporting regularly fewer than 1,000 new cases each day.
- We need to move away from blanket, national measures, to targeted, local measures. So instead of locking down the whole country, we will lock down specific premises or local areas where the virus is spreading.
- To control future local outbreaks there will be five principle components: monitoring, engagement, testing, targeted restrictions and finally, as a last resort, lockdown. Further details can be found here. Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 3 July 2020
- Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps has confirmed that self-isolation lifted for lower risk countries in time for holidays this summer.
- From 10 July 2020 it will be possible to travel to many countries, including Spain, Italy, France and Germany without having to self-isolate on return to England.
- The government’s expectation is that a number of the exempted countries will also not require arrivals from the UK to self-isolate. This will mean that holidaymakers travelling to and from certain destinations will not need to self-isolate on either leg of their journey.
- The exempted countries and territories will be kept under constant review, so that if the health risks increase self-isolation measures can be re-introduced to help stop the spread of the disease into England.
- The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has also updated its global advisory against ‘all but essential’ international travel to exempt certain destinations that no longer pose an unacceptably high risk of COVID-19.
- When planning holidays or overseas travel, people should therefore check the latest FCO travel advice on GOV.UK, including whether there are any self-isolation measures in place for their outbound or return journey.
- The R number range for the UK is 0.7-0.9 and the growth rate range is -6% to -0% as of 3 July 2020.
Latest Guidance (employment and business)
CJRS guidance can be found here:-
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme guidance is here:-
Check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
Treasury Direction made by the Chancellor under Sections 71 and 76 of the Coronavirus Act 2020
A further set of updated rules from the Treasury relating to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme . 10:50am, 2 July 2020
Latest Guidance (health)
Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can’t do until 4 July
Updated 24 June 2020
Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can’t do after 4 July
Updated 24 June 2020
Schools
No new advice today. Plenty enough yesterday.
Schools and colleges to reopen in full in September
The collections are:-
Guidance for schools: coronavirus (COVID-19) – What school leaders, teachers and school staff need to do during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Early years and childcare: coronavirus (COVID-19)
Further and higher education: coronavirus (COVID-19)
Early years and childcare: coronavirus (COVID-19)
General Guidance
The general coronavirus guidance starts here:-
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
