New Restrictions for Leeds
Dear resident,
The government has today announced that Leeds will be placed under additional social contact restrictions, to help reduce the rising number of cases of COVID-19 and keep people safe. This is in addition to the national restrictions already in force, or due to come into force.
Leeds is to be named an ‘area of intervention’, with the latest seven day COVID-19 rate rising to 108 per 100,000 people.
The new local restrictions mean that from midnight today (Friday 25 September):
- You cannot meet or host people you do not live with in private homes or gardens unless they are in your support bubble. A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with another household.
- You cannot visit someone else's home or garden even if they live outside of Leeds, unless they are in your support bubble.
- People can only come inside your home or garden for specific purposes. These include where everyone in the gathering lives together or is in the same support bubble; to attend a birth at the mother’s request; to visit a person who is dying; to fulfil a legal obligation; for work purposes, or for the provision of voluntary or charitable services; for the purposes of education or training; for the purposes of childcare; to provide emergency assistance; to enable one or more persons in the gathering to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm; to facilitate a house move; to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person.
- Existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children where the children do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents will remain exempt.
- Friends and family can also still provide informal childcare for children aged 13 or under.
In addition to these restrictions, people in Leeds are also being advised by government:
- Not to socialise with people you do not live with, unless they are in your support bubble, in any public venue either in Leeds or elsewhere. Examples of public venues include pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions and parks.
- Not to visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances. Care homes should restrict visits to these circumstances.
- To follow all relevant transport guidance when making a journey into, within or out of the areas affected, wear a face covering on public transport and try not to share a car with those outside your household or support bubble.
More information will be published on our website as soon as possible.
The police will be able to take action against those that break these rules, including asking people to disperse and issuing fixed penalty notices starting at £200 for those who participate in illegal gatherings.
Shielding advice continues to be paused, but people in the shielding group need to be extra cautious in following the new guidance to reduce the risk of infection.
These restrictions will be continually monitored and reviewed and additional measures could be brought in the coming weeks if required.
Playing your part in reducing the infection rates
Everyone has an important part to play in continuing to follow the guidance to prevent further cases and reduce the rising infection rate, and it is vital that people act responsibly – particularly if they think they may have the virus.
The important advice continues to be:
- Keep a safe distance wherever you can
- Wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
- Cover your face in enclosed spaces
- Isolate when you need to/are advised to – and draw on community support where needed.
Watch the government’s new video which shows why washing our hands regularly, wearing a face covering and keeping our distance helps to reduce the risk of transmitting coronavirus.
Only get a test if you have symptoms
If you have any symptoms of coronavirus, you should stay at home and book a free test on the NHS website or ring 119. No one in your household should leave home if any one person has symptoms. You do not need to book a test if you do not have symptoms. If you struggle to book a test, keep trying.
NHS Test and Trace App – Protect your loved ones. Download the app
The new NHS COVID-19 app is the fastest way to see if you're at risk from coronavirus. The faster you know, the quicker you can alert and protect your loved ones and community.
The app has a number of tools to protect you, including contact tracing, local area alerts and venue check-in. It uses proven technology from Apple and Google, designed to protect every user’s privacy.
Download the app here: https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/
Updated national guidelines
Earlier this week, the Government announced further measures to address the rising number of coronavirus cases across England. These new measures will still apply to residents in Leeds despite the local restrictions.
These include:
- Extension to face coverings: 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. Failure to do so without a medical exemption will now result in a fine of £200.
- Pubs, bars and restaurants to close at 10pm: Businesses selling food or drink (including cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants) must be closed between 10pm and 5am. This will include takeaways but delivery services can continue after 10pm.
- Table service only: In licensed premises, food and drink must be ordered from, and served at, a table. Customers must eat and drink at a table in any premises selling food and drink to consume indoors, on site.
- Face coverings in private hire vehicles and taxis: Customers in private hire vehicles and taxis must wear face coverings.
- “Rule of 6” will now apply to indoor team sports: 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, and organised dance and exercise classes can take place in groups of more than 6 where a risk assessment has been carried out.
- Limit on guests at weddings: Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies and receptions will be restricted to a maximum of 15 people, from Monday 28 September. Funerals (including ceremonies at crematoria) can still go ahead but they should follow government guidance and venue capacity, and have no more than 30 people.
To view the guidance in full, please visit the government’s website.
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