Summary
- In an announcement at 8pm tonight the PM confirmed a third national lockdown with immediate effect.
- National lockdown: Stay at Home – guidance was first published at 8.01pm and the full guidance runs to 22 pages.
- Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers.
- All other children will learn remotely until February half term.
- Early Years settings remain open.
- GCSE and A Level exams are cancelled. The guidance states at page 13 ‘In the circumstances, we do not think it is possible for all exams in the summer to go ahead as planned. We will accordingly be working with Ofqual to consult rapidly to put in place alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly.’
- Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses.
- You can only leave your home to exercise, and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting). This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
- Outdoor sports venues, including tennis courts, golf courses and swimming pools, must close.
- Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons are required to close. Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must also close. These services should not be provided in other people’s homes.
Further details
National lockdown: Stay at Home guidance is as follows:-
Leaving home
You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:
- shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
- go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
- exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
- meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
- seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
- attend education or childcare – for those eligible
Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open.
Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses.
If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work.
If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work
Meeting others
You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).
You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble.
You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.
Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household.
Going to work
- You may only leave your home for work if you cannot reasonably work from home.
- Where people cannot work from home – including, but not limited to, people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing – they should continue to travel to their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting sectors and employers.
- Public sector employees working in essential services, including childcare or education, should continue to go into work, unless clinically extremely vulnerable.
General Guidance
The general coronavirus guidance starts here:-
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
