Rules you may have missed
as England is plunged into second lockdown
James Rodger &
Kelly-Ann Mills
As England goes into its
second lockdown, a huge 32-page government document lists the dos and don't of
what you can and can't do from today.
Boris Johnson announced the new lockdown on Saturday, before
unveiling measures on Monday to MPs in the Commons.
Lockdown
2.0 was backed by MPs, despite some rebels, with new restrictions now in place
across England.
While
most of the rules have been well-publicised, like pubs shutting and non-essential
retailers closing, there are still some hidden notes to be wary of.
Here
are some of the lesser-known lockdown rules below - from schools to visiting
tips, and holidays, care home visits and more.
You can meet ONE friend
or family member in public. You can meet one other person in public - children
under school age are not counted
People
can also leave for recreational purposes with their own household or on their
own with one person from another household (a "one plus one" rule).
Examples
of recreation include meeting up with a friend in the park for a walk or to sit
on a bench and eat a sandwich. People will not be allowed to meet in homes and
gardens, and golf clubs will remain shut.
People
can also leave home to shop for food and essentials, and to provide care for
vulnerable people or as a volunteer.
Tips remain open
You can still view a house
Visits
to waste disposal units and recycling centres are allowed.
Medical
appointments can continue and you can provide respite care for vulnerable
people.
Deathbed
visits are allowed by close family members and friends.
Dentists are open
New rules for face masks in schools
Secondary
school pupils and teachers will be ordered to wear masks in corridors and
communal areas from Thursday.
Government
guidance for England make it mandatory for children over 11 and teachers to don
face coverings when moving around inside school buildings.
But
masks will not be required in classrooms for either teachers or pupils.
The
new rules say: “In schools where pupils in year 7 and above are educated, face
coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises,
outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social
distancing cannot easily be maintained.”
Secondary
pupils should also wear face coverings when they travel on school buses or
dedicated transport.
The
move brings the country in line with the rules previously imposed in Tier 3
areas of high infection, and comes after calls for heads for greater
consistency in the rules.
Holidays are banned
You
are advised not to travel unless for essential reasons.
People
can travel for work and there are exemptions for overnights and second homes
for work purposes.
Those
who are already on holiday will be able to return to the UK.
Takeaway
beer
Bars,
pubs and restaurants must stay closed except for delivery or takeaway services.
They
will be permitted to sell takeaway alcohol so long as it is pre-ordered online,
or via phone or post.
Pre-ordered
drinks can be sold to and collected by a customer "provided the purchaser
does not enter inside the premises to do so", regulations state.
Hotels,
hostels and other accommodation should only open for those who have to travel
for work and for a limited number of other reasons including people who need
accommodation while moving house, to attend a funeral or if they are isolating
themselves from others as required by law.
You can visit care homes - but only in certain ways
Regulations
state that it is reasonably necessary for someone to leave their home to visit
a person staying in a care home if they are a member of that person's
household, a close family member or a friend.
Guidance
issued by the Department of Health and Social Care lists a number of ways care
homes could allow visitors, including having designated visitor pods with
floor-to-ceiling screens and separate entrances.
Outdoor
visits with one other person are permitted, provided the area can be accessed
by the loved one without going into the main building.
Visits
at windows, "where the visitor doesn't need to come inside the care home
or where the visitor remains in their car, and the resident is socially
distanced" are also allowed.
Video
calls between residents and family members, supported by a multimillion-pound
distribution of 11,000 iPad devices to care homes, are also encouraged.
The
department said plans are currently being developed to allow specific family
and friends to visit care homes supported by a testing programme, although
trials will not begin until later in November.
Protests
are banned
Protests
are not allowed but the Prime Minister's spokesman said police and local
authorities will first try to "engage, explain and encourage people to
follow the rules before moving on to enforce the law".
Huge fines
People
who flout the rules could be fined up to £6,400.
Fines
start at £100 if paid within 14 days, otherwise it's £200. These penalties
double each time for repeat offenders.
Businesses
can be slapped with £10,000 fines, starting at £1,000 in the first instance and
rising with further offences.
December 2 end date
Foreign
Secretary Dominic Raab, during an interview on Tuesday, said that next
month's deadline for lifting the four-week lockdown is "written into
law".
Asked
on LBC radio whether people in England could mark the date of the end of the
second national lockdown on their calendars,
Mr
Raab said: "Put it in your diary, it is written into law."
Mr Johnson
had been due to address the CBI on Monday but was forced to postpone in order
to take questions in the House of Commons about the month-long measures.