Corona Virus New Rules: What You Can and Can't Do

The government has announced new measures to control the spread of Covid-19

Some of these new restrictions will be set out in the law and guidance. The police and other enforcement officers are able to issue penalties to those that don’t comply with law.

Face Coverings

• Customers in private hire vehicles and taxis must wear face coverings (from the 23rd September).
• Customers in hospitality venues must wear face coverings, except when seated at a table to eat or drink. Staff in hospitality and retail will now also be required to wear face coverings (from the 24th September).
• People who are already exempt from the existing face covering obligations, such as because of an underlying health condition, will continue to be exempt from these new obligations.
• Guidance stating that face coverings and visors should be worn in close contact services will now become law (from 24 September).
• Staff working on public transport and taxi drivers will continue to be advised to wear face coverings.

Working from home

 Office workers who can work from home should do so over the winter. Where an employer, in consultation with their employee, judges an employee can carry out their normal duties from home they should do so. Public sector employees working in essential services, including education settings, should continue to go into work where necessary. Anyone else who cannot work from home should go to their place of work.

Businesses

• Businesses selling food or drink (including cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants), social clubs, casinos, bowling alleys, amusement arcades (and other indoor leisure centres or facilities), funfairs, theme parks, adventure parks and activities, and bingo halls, must be closed between 10pm and 5am. This will include takeaways but delivery services can continue after 10pm (from 24 September).
• All pubs, bars and restaurants will be restricted to table service only. Takeaways can continue as the are.
• Businesses will need to display the official NHS QR code posters so that customers can ‘check-in’ at different premises using this option as an alternative to providing their contact details once the app is rolled out nationally (from the 24th September).
• Businesses and organisations will face stricter rules to make their premises COVID Secure (from 28 September):
• Businesses must remind people to wear face coverings where mandated.
• Support groups must be limited to a maximum of 15 people (from 24 September).
• Indoor organised sport for over 18s will no longer be exempt from the rule of six. There is an exemption for indoor organised team sports for disabled people (from 24 September).
• There will be a new exemption in those areas of local intervention where household mixing is not allowed to permit friends and family to provide informal childcare for children under 14 (from 24 September).
• Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies and receptions will be restricted to a maximum of 15 people (down from 30). Other significant standalone life events will be subject to the ‘rule of six’ limits, except funerals (from 28 September).