From Tuesday September 22nd additional regulations will lawfully ban the following:

  • Residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens.
  • Hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service only
  • Late night restriction of operating hours will be introduced, with leisure and entertainment venues required to close between 10pm to 5am.

Residents are also advised to adhere to the following guidance to further reduce rates of infection:

  • In all public settings the “rule of six” must apply. However, we are advising residents not to mix households in public settings as this can increase the risk of infection.
  • Residents are advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work
  • Holidays should only be taken with people from your own household or support bubble
  • Residents are advised against attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators

These changes are in addition to the nationwide 6-person (The Rule of Six) limit on social gatherings that came into force on Monday September 14th, 2020.  The ‘rule of six’ is in place across the country and will sit alongside additional restrictions in some local areas.

  • Burnley 
  • Chorley 
  • Fylde 
  • Hyndburn  
  • Lancaster 
  • Pendle 
  • Preston 
  • Ribble Valley 
  • Rossendale 
  • South Ribble 
  • West Lancashire 
  • Wyre  

Note: The additional measures and guidance DO NOT include those areas that fall under Blackpool Council. For the latest information on restrictions in Blackpool click here

From 00.01 hours on Tuesday September 22nd, 2020 

These measures will help to address the significant rise in coronavirus cases in the region in recent weeks

There is an increased risk of transmission the more people who gather together. Our data shows an increased rate of transmission in homes, hospitality venues and through grassroot sports

We are doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable, keep businesses open and children in school, which these measures will help with

Blackpool is a Unitary authority with a separate public health service, the levels of infection in Blackpool are currently not as high as the Lancashire average. They will continue to monitor the data and make their own local decision in consultation with central government.

The government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is due to continue during September and October.

From 1 September, the government will pay 70% of wages up to a maximum cap of £2,187.50 for the hours the employee is on furlough. Employers will top up employees’ wages to ensure they receive 80% (up to £2,500).

To see whether you can claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme click here

No – you cannot go to any private household or garden other than your own household or bubble and you cannot allow anyone from outside your household or bubble into your house or garden regardless of where they reside.

The additional measures will come into force from September 22nd for an undefined period.  The level and rate of infection will be monitored daily with a review of the measures and the impact they have had undertaken on a weekly basis.  The data will inform whether and when measures are removed, or further ones introduced.

You must not meet people who do not live with you or are not part of your support bubble, either indoors or outdoors, unless for the specific purposes mentioned below.  

People should only come inside your home for specific purposes:  

  • 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 (the visitor can be someone the dying person lives with, a close family member, friend or, if none of those is visiting, anyone else)  
  • to fulfil a legal obligation  
  • for work purposes (see guidance on working safely in other people’s 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  
  • 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
A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult (but no limit on children under 16) in the home (known as a single-adult household) and one other household of any size.

Once you’re in a support bubble, you can think of yourself as being in a single household with people from the other household. It means you can have close contact with that household as if they were members of your own household. 

Once you make a support bubble, you should not change who is in your bubble. 

You should not have multiple bubbles. 

  • You can continue to use early years and childcare settings, including childminders and providers offering before or after school clubs or other out-of-school settings for children. You can also continue to employ nannies, including those living outside of the region
  • Children of parents who are separated can continue to move between households
  • Care can be provided for children under the age of 14 and vulnerable adults, by individuals outside of their immediate household when it is necessary for formal or informal caring arrangements
  • Arrangements must be part of a consistent childcare relationship
  • We would also advise that vulnerable people should not provide childcare within your support bubble

No. Schools, colleges and universities remain open and are operating in a COVID-secure way. 

It is strongly advised that you do not mix with anyone from outside your household or bubble at any time however, you can gather in groups of up to six people in accordance with the ‘rule of six’.  

There are exemptions where groups can be larger than 6 people, which include for work, or the provision of voluntary or charitable services.   

For a full list of exemptions click here. 

Unless exempt, in education settings where students in Year 7 and above are educated, including middle schools, face coverings should be worn by staff, visitors and students when moving around in corridors and communal areas. 

More information on face coverings in education can be found here. 

Yes, people living inside and outside of these areas can continue to travel for work or school. Workplaces and schools themselves should also be implementing covid-secure measures.  

Care homes in the region are closed to non-essential visitors, excluding health care professionals and those involved in end of life care (including family members). 

If you are planning to visit relatives in care homes outside the affected areas, then check with the care home prior to travelling to ensure that they are still open to visits from family members. 

The following must close from 10pm to 5am: 

  • Pubs 
  • Bars and restaurants (including hotel dining rooms and members’ clubs) 
  • Cafes including workplace canteens (but not including cafes or canteens at hospitals, care homes, prisons, establishments intended for the use of naval, military or air force purposes and for providing food or drink to the homeless) 
  • Social clubs 
  • Cinemas 
  • Theatres 
  • Casinos 
  • Bingo halls and concert halls 
  • Amusement arcades or other indoor leisure centres or facilities 
  • Static/fixed funfairs (indoors or outdoors), theme parks, and adventure parks and activities 

During opening hours (5am to 10pm), there should be table service-only, including ordering drinks and food.  

As elsewhere in the country, venues must also take details of customers for NHS Test and Trace from September 18. 

Between 10pm and 5am each day hot food takeaways can only operate a delivery service. 

Travelling funfairs are also prohibited. 

Click here to find out about licensing. As before, you need a licence to sell hot food or hot drink between 11pm and 5am. 

Businesses with the correct licence may offer only a delivery service between 10pm and 5am.  Customers are not permitted at your premises: orders should be taken over the phone or online, and must be delivered to the customer, collection is prohibited. 

If you will be consuming food or drink on the premises, inside or outside, you must be served your food or drink at your table. By law you are not restricted from ordering at the counter/bar/till point, however each venue will provide instructions in-line with their COVID-secure measures. You are not permitted to collect or receive any food or drink from the counter/bar/till point, unless you are taking it away for consumption off the premises.

Please follow all guidance and signage carefully at any venue you visit.

You are strongly advised to only visit venues with other members of your household (or support bubble). If you do then ‘the rule of six’ must be followed.

This is because the hospitality industry has enhanced COVID social distancing and protective measures based on risk assessments with test and trace, which private households do not have.

Unless formally organised by a sports club or similar organisation, with guidance issued by a sport governing body, team sports should not take place at an indoor or outdoor venue with people who you do not live with or not part of your bubble.

We advise that you should not attend amateur or professional sporting events as a spectator in the areas affected. If you do attend, you must remain socially distanced in groups of no more than 6.

You are strongly advised not to attend as a spectator at any sport event indoor or outdoor. If you do attend, you must remain socially distanced in groups of no more than 6.

Yes. Please wear a face covering if using public transport unless exempt and only use public transport if you have no other means of transport.

Yes, provided these venues have the required COVID -secure risk assessments and guidelines in place, you should not attend with anyone other than your household or bubble members.

It is strongly advised that you do not mix with anyone from outside your household or bubble at any time, however, you can gather in groups of up to six people in accordance with the ‘rule of six’. There are exemptions where groups can be larger than 6 people, which include:

  • supervised activities provided for children, including wraparound care, youth groups and activities, and children’s playgroups for work.
  • organised sport or exercises classes or licensed outdoor physical activity. This does not include informal sport or fitness activity with family or friends – this must be limited to a group of 6.

For a full list of exemptions click here 

You should not attend with anyone other than the members of your household or bubble, everyone should work together to make a difference.

Official/registered tradespeople can go to other people’s homes for work purposes as long as you follow national guidance on how to work safely there 

The guidance around shielding has not changed. In line with national guidance, people no longer have to follow the shielding guidance from 1 August, but they should continue to take extra care when out and about and follow social distancing and public health advice. 

You can travel outside your area. However, you must not meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of your area, unless they’re in your support bubble. 

You can still go on holiday within the UK or abroad, but you should only do this with people you live with (or have formed a support bubble with). You need to follow any rules in the area you visit and be aware of the self-isolation rules when travelling to and from certain countries. 

People can visit the region on holiday but must comply with the local restrictions. 

You can still go on holiday outside of your area, but you should only do this with people you live with (or have formed a support bubble with). 

There is separate guidance on what to do if you have booked holiday accommodation in an area with local restrictions. 

Residents are advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work. 

Face coverings must be worn unless exempt.  

You are advised not to share a car with those outside your household or support bubble, and to use public transport for essential journeys instead.  

People can move home. Estate and letting agents as well as removals firms can continue to work and people looking to move home can continue to undertake viewings. 

No – premises within the affected area must operate a table service only throughout your time on the premises, you cannot join other tables, you should not move around the venue unnecessarily and follow directions and measures in place for your safety and protection at all times.  

You are strongly advised to only share a table with members from your household or bubble, you must always follow ‘the rule of six’ if you mix with anyone outside your bubble.

The exemption in the ‘rule of six’ under regulation 5 (3)(g) is still applicable, it permits no more than 30 people at a funeral service in accordance with the risk assessment for the venue.  All reasonable measures must be followed.  Any gathering outside the service must adhere to the additional measures.  

The exemption in the ‘rule of six’ under regulation 5 (3)(g) is still applicable, it permits no more than 30 people at a wedding ceremony in accordance with the risk assessment for the venue.  All reasonable measures must be followed.  Any gathering outside the service must adhere to the additional measures.   

The regulations refer to “restricted businesses or services”, which are the following:

  • Restaurants, including restaurants and dining rooms in hotels or members’ clubs
  • Businesses offering food or drink for consumption off the premises
  • Cafes, with certain exceptions, none of which are commercial
  • Bars, including bars in hotels or members’ clubs
  • Public houses
  • Social clubs
  • Casinos
  • Bowling alleys
  • Cinemas
  • Theatres
  • Amusement arcades or other indoor leisure centres or facilities
  • Funfairs (indoors or outdoors), theme parks and adventure parks and activities
  • Bingo halls
  • Concert halls

The premises must be shut by 10pm. This doesn’t mean that the staff must be out, because they could legitimately be doing a number of things after they close, including providing food ordered online or by phone. However, all customers need to be out.

The proprietor must provide an alternative facility for contact details to be left by anyone who is unable to use the QR code system.
The contact details of everyone in attendance must be provided as part of the mandatory requirement.
From 24 September, it will be compulsory for retail, leisure and hospitality staff to wear a face covering in areas that are open to the public and where they come or are likely to come within close contact of a member of the public. This includes shops, supermarkets, bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes, banks, estate agents, post offices and the public areas of hotels and hostels.
No – employees who are customer facing and in customer contact roles are required to wear a face covering.