Page last updated Thursday 15 October

‘Tier 2: Local COVID alert level: High’ is for areas with a higher level of infections where some additional restrictions are in place, above those which exist in Tier 1

Click here to read the full guidance at Gov.uk | Click here to view a quick-reference poster of the rules
Fylde is currently in ‘Tier 2: Local COVID alert level: High’ and the following applies:

General

Local COVID alert levels set out information for local authorities, residents and workers about what to do and how to manage the outbreak in their area. 

For more information on local COVID alert levels, click here.

The Government has published guidance on the local COVID alert level: High (Tier 2) 

This page sets out key FAQs to help you prepare for those changes.

These rules will apply from Wednesday 14 October onwards. 

The government is closely monitoring the situation and will work with the relevant local authorities to review the data and apply the appropriate alert level. The geographies are reviewed every 14 days, the regulations are reviewed every 28 daysand without extension would expire after 6 months.

You must not socialise with anybody outside of your household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place, including but not limited to cafes, pubs and restaurants. Breaching this rule is against the law and the police will have the power to enforce these legal limits, including to issue fines (fixed penalty notices) of £200, doubling for further breaches up to a maximum of £6,400 per incidence.

The rule of 6 applies. You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 outside, including in a gardenoutside seating areas in hospitality, or other spaces like beaches or parks.This is against the law and the police will have the powers to enforce these legal limits, including to issue fines (fixed penalty notices) of £200, doubling for further breaches up to a maximum of £6,400.  

There are exceptions where groups can be larger than 6 people. 

Asupport 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.   

No one should not have multiple bubbles.   

No – One of the households in any ‘support bubble’ must be a single-adult household.

A childcare bubble is where someone in one household provides informal (unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. For any given childcare bubble, this must always be between the same 2 households.

Friends or family who do not live with you and are not part of a support or childcare bubble must not visit your home to help with childcare. Childcare bubbles are to be used to provide childcare only, and not for the purposes of different households mixing where they are otherwise not allowed to do so.

Click here to find out more about childcare

No – Childcare bubbles are to be used to provide childcare only, and not for the purposes of different households mixing where they are otherwise not allowed to do so.

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. For more information you should contact your school directly. 

Household, Education and Employment settings

You must not meet people who do not live with you or are not part of your support bubble, inside your house, unless for the specific purposes mentioned below: 

  • 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 national guidance on working safely in other people’s homes 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 where the children do not live in the same household as one or more of their parents 

No – you cannot visit any household other than your own or your support bubble’s.  

No – you cannot allow anyone from outside your household or support bubble into your house, regardless of where they reside. You cannot socialise inside with any other household regardless of where they live. 

You can continue to travel to venues or amenities that are open, for work or to access education, but should look to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible. 

  • 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 – details on creating a ‘care bubble’ are expected to be published shortly. 
  • We would also advise that people who may be more vulnerable to coronavirus should not provide childcare within your support bubble. 

Schools, colleges and universities remain open and are operating in a COVID-secure way. 

Universities must reflect wider restrictions (option to move to greater online provision). 

For information on a particular education setting, you should contact them directly. 

To help contain the virus, office workers who can work effectively 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. The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if  COVID-19 secure guidelines  are followed closely. Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk.  

 

The government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) (furlough) 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   

Click here to read about the Winter Economy Plan detailing the support available from the Government from November onwards. 

Test & Trace and QR code for customers

A venue which is required to display the poster must provide an alternative facility for contact details to be left by anyone who is unable to use the QR code system. You will be asked for your name, contact number (if not applicable then email address, or lastly home address), date and time of visit including – where possible – departure time, and if you will interact with only one member of staff – the name of the assigned staff member. 

Yes, in venues that are required to display the poster, the contact details of everyone in attendance must be provided as part of the mandatory requirement. If not using the NHS COVID-19 app, details of all parties can be provided by one lead member of the group or be given individually. 

No, you will be refused entry to any hospitality venue.

By keeping a log of customers, staff and visitors, Test and Trace can use this information to get in touch with your venue if an outbreak has been identified. Customer logging will allow us to help break the chain of transmission and keep infection rates at bay. NHS Test and Trace is central to the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy. It aims to minimise the transmission of COVID-19, contain the spread of the disease and enable people to return to, and maintain, a more normal way of life. 

In line with guidance issued by the government, businesses will keep your details for 21 days. They will only share them with NHS Test and Trace or the local authority, if asked, in the event of a potential outbreak linked to the venue. After 21 days the business should delete/destroy your details. It will not be used for marketing or other purposes. 

The easiest way to be part of Test and Trace is to download the NHS COVID-19 app on your smartphone and scan the QR code at a venue on entry – your data will remain secure on your phone. If you choose not to use the NHS COVID-19 app, the venue should be able to supply you with information about how they will keep the data you supply secure. All businesses that take personal information must comply with relevant data protection law. 

The easiest way to be part of Test and Trace is to download the NHS COVID-19 app on your smartphone and scan the QR code at a venue on entry. However, if you do not have access to a smartphone and the venue is one that is required to display the poster, syou will instead be given the option of leaving your details with the businesses own manual trace and trace system. 

If you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace, contact tracers will:  

Local contact tracers may contact you from a different phone number or ask you to call them back. If you are unsure if the telephone number is genuine, check with your local council. More information can be found on your local council website.  

Yes, venues are obliged to check each customer’s phone screen to ensure they have successfully checked in. 

No, you do not need to leave contact information when you take food/product off site immediately. 

No, delivery drivers whose visit is for the sole purpose of making a delivery or collection do not need to leave contact details. 

Anyone under the age of 16 will not be asked to leave contact details. However, please be aware that a venue may ask for proof of age via identification if they have reason to suspect an individual is over 16. 

We are strongly encouraging places of worship to maintain staff, customer and visitor logs and to display an official NHS QR code poster. However, places of worship, including when the venue is used for events and other community activities, are not included in these regulations.  

No, this requirement does not apply to services that are designed to feed homeless people. 

If you test positive for COVID-19 or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace and instructed to self-isolate you may be entitled to a one-off payment of £500 if you are on a lower income and cannot work from home, losing income as a result. The Test and Trace Support Payment scheme in Fylde is now live. Click here for the full eligibility criteria and to apply for the scheme. 

You are now required by law to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19 or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace. 

New fines for those breaching self-isolation rules will start at £1,000 – bringing this in line with the penalty for breaking quarantine after international travel – but could increase to up to £10,000 for repeat offences and for severe breaches, including for those preventing others from self-isolating. 

A number of steps will be taken to make sure that people are complying with the rules, these include: 

  • NHS Test and Trace call handlers making regular contact with those self-isolating, with the ability to escalate any suspicion of non-compliance to Local Authorities and local police; 
  • Using police resources to check compliance in highest incidence areas and in high-risk groups, based on local intelligence; 
  • Investigating and prosecuting high-profile and egregious cases of non-compliance; and 
  • Acting on instances where third parties have identified others who have tested positive, but are not self-isolating. 

Hospitality and leisure venues for business owners

Cinema and Theatres 

  • Cinemas and theatres may remain open after 10pm to complete performances that began before 10pm   

Exemptions – These businesses do not need to close at 10pm 

  • Supermarkets  
  • Pharmacies  
  • Convenience stores  
  • Petrol stations  
  • Motorway service stations   
  • Drive-ins where customers collect food or drink without leaving their cars  

Venues must display the NHS QR code poster, encourage customers to use the NHS ovid-19 App to scan it upon arrival, and have a manual means of taking customers details as back-up for NHS Test and Trace. Click here to find out more.  

Between 10pm and 5am each day hot food takeaways can operate: 

  • A delivery service for pre-orders made online or over the phone. 
  • A click and collect service for food and drink that has been pre-ordered online or over the phone; provided the purchaser does not enter inside the premises to collect. 
  • A drive through service, provided the food or drink is passed without the purchaser or any other person leaving the vehicle.  

During opening hours (5am to 10pm), the restrictions on service apply: 

  • In alcohol licenced premises, food and drink must be ordered from a table, as well as served, to a customer who is seated at the premises and the operator must take all reasonable steps to make sure it is consumed at a table   
  • In premises without an alcohol licence, food and drink may be ordered or served from a counter or service point, but the operator must take all reasonable steps to ensure the customer remains seated whilst consuming the food or drink on the premises 

Venues catering for weddings, civil partnerships and life events: 

  • The exception to the rule of six for weddings is now limited to fifteen people, instead of 30   
  • “Significant life events” like baptisms are no longer an exemption to the “rule of six”   

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  
  • Amusement arcades or other indoor leisure centres or facilities  
  • Funfairs (indoors or outdoors), theme parks and adventure parks and activities  
  • Bingo halls  
  • Concert halls  

Cinema and Theatres 

  • Cinemas and theatres may remain open after 10pm to complete performances that began before 10pm   

Exemptions – These businesses do not need to close at 10pm 

  • Supermarkets  
  • Pharmacies  
  • Convenience stores  
  • Petrol stations  
  • Motorway service stations   
  • Drive-ins where customers collect food or drink without leaving their cars  

As before, you need a licence to sell hot food or hot drink between 11pm and 5am.   

Businesses with the correct licence may offer  a ‘delivery or click and collect service only’ between 10pm and 5am.  Customers are not permitted at your premises: orders should be taken over the phone or onlineIf a customer is collecting their pre-ordered food or drink, they must not enter the premises.   

Drive-in takeaways where customers collect food or drink without leaving their cars are permitted to remain open.  

The premises must be shut by 10pm. It does not 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. But all the customers need to be out. 

Use the following link to find out if your business can re-open and the measures you will need to take to make business COVID-secure: Business reopening 

Further information can be found below:  

Read the latest guidance on businesses and venues that must remain closed to members of the publichere. 

Premises where face coverings are required should take reasonable steps to promote compliance with the law, for example by reminding customers verbally and by using posters at all entrances to the venue. This would be included in your COVID risk-assessment and would be in-line with taking all reasonable COVID-secure measures to maintain a safe environment for your staff and customers. You must not seek to prevent anyone from wearing a face covering. 

If a customer refuses to wear a face covering, and they don’t have an exemption, you can decide to refuse them entry. If they fail to comply with this, you can call the police as a last resort. 

The liability for wearing a face covering lies with the individual and it would be the individual who would be issued with an FPN, not the business. 

Click here for more information 

By law, public-facing staff at venues that provide food and drink will be required to wear a face covering, unless they have an exemption. 

Where face coverings are required for staff, businesses are expected to provide these as part of their health and safety obligations. However, staff are welcome to use their own face coverings if they choose. 

Businesses already have legal obligations to protect their staff under existing employment law. This means taking appropriate steps to provide a safe working environment, which may include providing face coverings where appropriate, alongside other mitigations such as screens and social distancing. Businesses should advise workers how to use face coverings safely. 

This means telling workers: 

  • wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on, and before and after removing it 
  • when wearing a face covering, avoid touching your face or face covering, as you could contaminate them with germs from your hands 
  • change your face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it 
  • continue to wash your hands regularly 
  • change and wash your face covering daily 
  • if the material is washable, wash in line with manufacturer’s instructions; if it’s not washable, dispose of it carefully in your usual waste 
  • practise social distancing wherever possible 

Click here for more information on COVID-secure guidelines 

Click here to find out more about face coverings, exemptions, and enforcement 

No – only cinemas, theatres and concert halls can continue beyond 10pm, but only for the purpose of concluding a performance that started before 10pm, and food and drink cannot be served after 10pm. 

The person responsible for carrying on a business must take all reasonable measures to ensure that:

  1. No bookings for a table indoors are accepted for more than one household/support bubble.
  2. No bookings for a table outdoors are accepted for more than 6 people.
  3. No mixed groups of more than one household/support bubble are permitted inside the premises.
  4. There is no mingling by a customer with any other member of a different group.
  5. An appropriate distance is maintained between tables occupied by different qualifying groups. This means with at least 2 metres if no additional measures are in place. Alternatively at least 1 metre if there are barriers or screens between tables; or the tables are arranged with back to back seating; or tables are otherwise arranged to ensure that persons sitting at one table do not face any person sitting at another table at a distance of less than two metres; or other measures are taken to limit the risk of transmission of the coronavirus between people sitting at different tables.
  6. No singing occurs on the premises by customers in groups of more than six.
  7. No dancing occurs on the premises by customers, except at a wedding/civil partnership ceremony or reception by the couple whom the wedding/civil partnership relates to.
  8. No music is played on the premises which exceeds 85db(A-weighted decibels) when measured at the source of the music. This does not apply to live music.
  9. A notice is prominently displayed that informs any person present in the relevant area is required to wear a face covering unless the person has a reasonable exemption
  10. As well as displaying a notice, other measures of communication are used to inform any person who enters the relevant area without wearing a face covering of the legal requirement to do
  11. Staff members are supported to self-isolate.
  12. Food and drink are only consumed on the premises by customers while seated.
  13. No customers are on the premises between 10pm and 5am.
  14. In venues with an alcohol license, food and drink must be ordered from, and served to those seated at a table
  15. Test & Trace procedures are being followed:
  • The NHS QR code poster is displayed at all entrances to the premises.
  • A back-up method for collecting customer contact details is in place for customers who do not have a smartphone or the app downloaded.
  • No customers are allowed to enter the premises without either scanning the NHS QR code poster with the NHS COVID-19 app, or leaving relevant details manually. Click here for full Test & Trace info

Fixed Penalty Notices may be issued for any breach of the above regulations.

The first FPN will be issued at £1,000; however it is reduced to £500 if paid before the end of the period of 14 days following the date of the notice. A second fixed penalty notice will be £2,000; the third will be £4,000 and any subsequent fixed penalty notices received will be £10,000. There are no early-payment entitlements after the first FPN is issued.

Food and Drinks Venues

In premises without an alcohol licence, food and drink may be ordered or served from a counter or service point, but the operator must take all reasonable steps to make sure it is consumed at a table.   

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

In alcohol licenced premises, food and drink must be ordered by, as well as served to, customers who are seated at the premises and the operator must take all reasonable steps to make sure it is consumed while seated. 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.  

You cannot join other tables, you should not move around the venue unnecessarily, and you must follow all directions and measures in place for your safety and protection at all times.  

Indoors you can only sit with those from your own household/support bubble. Outdoors, for example in a beer garden, you are instructed to follow the rule of 6. 

No – you must not socialise with anybody other than your household or support bubble in any indoor setting regardless of the area, unless you are seated outside then the rule of 6 applies. 

From Thursday 24 September the requirement for wearing face coverings has been extended to include staff in indoor hospitality.  

Employees who are not customer facing (e.g. kitchen staff) are not required to wear a face covering.  

The liability for wearing a face covering lies with the individual and it would be the individual who would be issued with an FPN, not the business. 

You must wear a face covering in the list of settings described on this link

The business can refuse you entry if you are refusing to comply with the law. 

The police can take measures if members of the public do not comply with this law without a valid exemption, including issuing fines of £200 (reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days) for the first offence. Repeat offenders receiving fines on public transport or in an indoor setting will have their fines doubled at each offence up to a maximum value of £6,400. After the first offence, there will be no early-payment discount. 

Click here to find out more about face coverings, exemptions, and enforcement 

 

Public settings

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 outside 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. 

You should not visit a care home except in exceptional circumstances, for example to visit an individual who is at the end of their life. See the guidance on visiting relatives in care homes. 

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. Please note further limits on the number of attendees are in place at individual venues to ensure COVID-secure guidelines are met – click here for more information about Lytham Crematorium.  

The exemption in the ‘rule of six’ under regulation 5 (3)(g) is still applicable, it permits no more than 15 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  

Exercise classes and organised sport can continue to take place outdoors. These will only be permitted indoors if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with or share a support bubble with, or for youth or disability sport. 

Where it is likely that groups will mix, these activities must not go ahead. 

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. 

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 and must not mix with people you do not live with or share a support bubble with. 

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. 

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. 

Click here to find out more about travelling safely. 

Additional regulations and guidance

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) currently advises British nationals against all but essential international travel. 

By law 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 COVID alert level (tier). There is separate guidance on what to do if you have booked holiday accommodation in an area with  local restrictions. 

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.

The following guidance is for everyone who has been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable. If you are in this group, you will previously have received a letter from the NHS or from your GP telling you this. You may have been advised to shield in the past. 

Socialising inside and outside the home 

At this alert level, the additional advice for clinically extremely vulnerable people is that you keep the number of different people you meet with low. The fewer people you meet, the less likely you are to catch COVID-19. 

You are encouraged to continue to go outside with your household and/or support bubble because of the benefits of exercise. If you do choose to meet other households outside of your support bubble, this must be outside, must be in groups of less than 6 people and we advise you to keep the numbers low. 

You do not need to maintain social distancing within your household. 

Travel 

In addition, we advise clinically extremely vulnerable people to avoid travel where possible except for going to work, school, or for essential shopping. 

If you need to travel, walk or cycle if you can. If this is not possible, travelling in a private car with your own household or bubble is generally lower risk than public transport because you are likely to come into contact with fewer people. 

Going to shops and pharmacies 

You are advised to reduce the number of shopping trips you make. If you do go to the shops, consider doing so at quieter times of the day. 

Consider using online delivery slots for food shopping or ask friends and family to help deliver shopping or collect medicines for you. 

Click here to read the government advice on shielding in full 

Please note it you are required to travel into an area at a different local COVID alert level (for example to go to work or school), you should follow the guidance for whichever area has the higher alert level. For example, if you live in a high alert area but work in a medium alert area, continue to follow the advice for high alert areas.