10/13/2020 Merseyside, Halton and Warrington: local restrictions - GOV.UK GOV.UK 1. Home (https://www.gov.uk/) 2. Coronavirus (COVID-19) (https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-taxon) 3. Protecting yourself and others from coronavirus (https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-taxon/protecting- yourselves-and-others) Guidance Merseyside, Halton and Warrington: local restrictions Find out what you can and cannot do if you live, work or travel in the affected local areas. Published 2 October 2020 Last updated 12 October 2020 — see all updates From: Department of Health and Social Care (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and- social-care) Applies to: England Contents Affected local areas Business and venue closures Early business and venue closures Business restrictions Social contact restrictions Travel restrictions Shielding Team sport and physical activity Weddings and funerals Religious ceremonies and places of worship Going to work Financial support – furlough and self-isolation Childcare Schools and colleges (face coverings) Universities and higher education Moving home An outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been identified in Merseyside, Halton and Warrington. The government and the relevant local authorities are working together to control the spread of the virus. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/merseyside-halton-and-warrington-local-restrictions 1/11 10/13/2020 Merseyside, Halton and Warrington: local restrictions - GOV.UK Restrictions and guidance apply to the specified areas below. A new system called ‘local COVID alert levels’ will be introduced in England on 14 October. The new system will replace the current guidance on this page. Find out what you must do under local COVID alert levels (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert- levels-what-you-need-to-know). Affected local areas From 3 October, the restrictions outlined in this guidance apply to the following areas: Halton Borough Council area Knowsley Metropolitan District Council area Liverpool City Council area Sefton Borough Council area St Helens Borough Council area Warrington Borough Council area Wirral Metropolitan District Council area Business and venue closures The following businesses and venues must remain closed nationally, including in the affected local areas: nightclubs, dance halls and discotheques sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars Early business and venue closures Across England, the following businesses and venues must close from 10pm to 5am each day except to deliver food or drinks or provide drive-through services. Take-away is not permitted during this time period. cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes, including those located inside other premises (workplace canteens are not included if there is no practical alternative for staff at that workplace) bowling alleys amusement arcades or other indoor leisure centres or facilities (this does not include gyms and fitness studios) funfairs (indoors or outdoors), theme parks and adventure parks and activities bingo halls casinos cinemas https://www.gov.uk/guidance/merseyside-halton-and-warrington-local-restrictions 2/11 10/13/2020 Merseyside, Halton and Warrington: local restrictions - GOV.UK theatres concert halls Cinemas, theatres or concert halls can stay open beyond 10pm to conclude a performance that has begun before 10pm, but they must close once the performance has concluded. Business restrictions Hospitality venues must take reasonable steps to ensure: customers only consume food and drink while seated in the premises that if the business serves alcohol for consumption on the premises, orders are only taken from customers who are seated bookings are not accepted, or customers admitted onto the premises if: groups include more than one household and support bubble if they will be located indoors groups include more than one household and support bubble, or more than 6 people if the group includes multiple households, if they will be located outdoors customers do not join other groups inside the premises (including outdoor areas such as beer gardens) tables are appropriately spaced to enable social distancing Take-away orders can continue to be made at a counter or bar (as can orders inside venues that do not sell alcohol). Hospitality venues subject to these restrictions include: restaurants, including restaurants and dining rooms in hotels or members’ clubs bars, including bars in hotels or members’ clubs public houses social clubs casinos cafes and workplace canteens (other than specific exemptions, such as canteens in a hospital, care home, school, military establishments, or homeless shelters) There are also some limited exceptions to the one-household restrictions indoors or the 6-person limits outdoors set out in law. In particular, for hospitality settings, there is a limit of 15 people attending a wedding or civil partnership reception. Across England, unless you have an exemption, you must wear a face covering in a range of indoor premises. This now includes hospitality venues (bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes), except when eating or drinking. Businesses can be fined by local authorities or the police if they fail to fulfil the obligations placed on them in law. This includes ensuring that: people do not meet in their premises with people outside of their household or support bubble tables are appropriately spaced https://www.gov.uk/guidance/merseyside-halton-and-warrington-local-restrictions 3/11 10/13/2020 Merseyside, Halton and Warrington: local restrictions - GOV.UK loud music isn’t played customers do not sing in non-household groups or dance Fines will be issued: £1,000 for the first offence £2,000 for the second offence £4,000 for the third offence £10,000 for the fourth and all subsequent offences Social contact restrictions If you live in the affected local areas, you must not (unless they’re in your support or childcare bubble): host people you do not live with in your home or garden meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside the affected local areas meet with people who you do not live with in indoor settings, whether inside or outside of the affected local areas Your household is defined as the people you live with and any support bubble. A support bubble (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-support-bubble-with-another-household) is where a household with one adult joins with another household (on an exclusive basis). Households within a bubble can still visit each other, stay overnight, and visit public places together. A childcare bubble is where someone in one household can provide informal (in other words, unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. This must occur on an exclusive basis, with always the same 2 households. The police will be able to take action against those who break these rules, including asking people to disperse and issuing fixed penalty notices starting at £200 for those who participate in illegal gatherings. People aged 18 or over can be fined: £200 for the first offence, lowered to £100 if paid within 14 days £400 for the second offence, then doubling for each further offence up to a maximum of £6,400 The government has also introduced fines for those who hold illegal gatherings (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social- distancing-after-4-july#meeting-family-and-friends) of over 30 people. Holding or being involved in the holding of an illegal gathering of more than 30 people is an offence, and police may issue fines of £10,000 to those who break the law. Gatherings within indoor settings, as well as your home or garden, can still take place for specific purposes set out in law (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1010/regulation/6), as follows: where everyone in the gathering lives together or is in the same support bubble to attend a birth at the mother’s request https://www.gov.uk/guidance/merseyside-halton-and-warrington-local-restrictions 4/11 10/13/2020 Merseyside, Halton and Warrington: local restrictions - GOV.UK to visit a person who is dying to fulfil a legal obligation for work purposes (see guidance on working safely in other people’s homes (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes)), or for the provision of voluntary or charitable services for the purposes of education or training for the purposes of childcare provided by a registered provider and informal childcare as part of a childcare bubble 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 to continue 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 In line with the national restrictions, when meeting friends and family you do not live with (or have formed a support bubble with) you must not meet in a group of more than 6 outside. Further detail can be found in the guidance for meeting others safely (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19- meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing) (which only applies when meeting others outside), including associated exemptions. In the affected local areas, we also advise that you should not: meet with people you do not live with, unless they’re in your support bubble, in any outdoor public venues. This includes outdoor areas of venues (such as a beer garden) and areas directly outside of settings or venues, such as the pavement or road and parks. This applies to inside and outside of the affected local areas visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances. Care homes should restrict visits to these circumstances Travel restrictions You should follow all relevant transport guidance (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer- travel-guidance-for-passengers) when making a journey into, within or out of the affected local areas.