Source: BBC News
England will begin a month-long lockdown on Thursday – with Boris Johnson saying acting now could allow families to spend Christmas together.
Pubs, restaurants, gyms, non-essential shops and places of worship will close, but schools, colleges and universities can stay open.
The announcement has sparked anger from some Tory MPs, and business leaders have warned of a “bleak midwinter”.
Mr Johnson is expected to deliver a statement in the Commons on Monday.
MPs will vote on the latest restrictions on Wednesday, and Labour has indicated it will back the lockdown.
Under the new restrictions:
- People will be told to stay at home except for specific reasons
- These include work which cannot be done from home, childcare or education, exercise outdoors, medical reasons, essential shopping, providing care for vulnerable people or for volunteering, and visiting members of your support bubble
- Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed, but individuals can meet one other person from another household outside in a public place
- Non-essential retail will close, but can remain open for click-and-collect delivery
- Pubs, bars, restaurants will have to close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery, excluding takeaway of alcohol
- Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools, will also close, along with entertainment venues and personal care facilities such as beauty salons
- Places of worship will close, unless they are being used for funerals, to broadcast acts of worship, individual prayer, formal childcare, or essential services such as blood donation or food banks
- Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can remain open
- Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies will not be able to take place except in exceptional circumstances, and funerals will be limited to a maximum of 30 people
- Children will still be able to move between homes if their parents are separated
- Clinically vulnerable people will be asked to be “especially careful” but people will not be asked to resume shielding
- Overnight stays, staying in a second home, and holidays will not be allowed – including in the UK and abroad – although there are exceptions, such as work trips
- People will be told to avoid all non-essential travel by private or public transport
Hours before the furlough scheme was due to end, the government said that it would be extended until December, covering 80% of employee wages.
The self-employed income grant support scheme has also been extended, with the applications opening on 14 December.
In addition, business premises forced to close in England are to receive grants worth up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant.
£1.1bn is also being given to Local Authorities, distributed on the basis of £20 per head, for one-off payments to enable them to support businesses more broadly.
Mortgage payment holidays will no longer end on 31 October. Borrowers impacted by COVID who haven’t had a mortgage holiday will be entitled to a 6-month break. If you’ve already started a mortgage holiday you can top up to 6 months without it being recorded on a credit file.
Read more about the governments latest support here: https://lnkd.in/dFSpAH7
Giving an initial response to the Prime Minister’s announcement of a month-long national lockdown in England, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said:
“There’s no getting around the fact that these new restrictions will be a devastating blow to business communities who have done everything in their power to adapt and operate safely.
“Business and market confidence have been hit hard by the unclear, stop-start approach taken by governments across the UK over the past eight months, with little end in sight. Many firms are in a much weaker position now than at the start of the pandemic, making it far more challenging to survive extended closures or demand restrictions.
“The temporary extension of the furlough scheme will bring short-term relief to many firms, and responds to Chambers’ call for business support to be commensurate with the scale of the restrictions imposed. While there is no substitute for a functioning economy, the full financial support package for businesses facing hardship, whether through loss of demand or closure, must immediately be clarified and communicated. Sustained help must be available to employers, to the self-employed and to the many businesses and individuals that have not been able to access any of the government’s schemes to date.
“The Government must not squander the time afforded to them through another lockdown to enable mass testing and fix Test and Trace systems – which hold the key to a lasting exit strategy for both public health and the economy.
“We will be examining the detail of new restrictions and support carefully over the coming days, together with Chamber business leaders across the country. Business communities will judge them on whether they are clear and evidence-based – and on whether businesses are able to see when these restrictions may come to an end.”
Mr Johnson said that after 2 December the restrictions would be eased and regions would go back to the tiered system already in place across England.
The measures were to prevent a “medical and moral disaster” for the NHS, he told a Downing Street press conference on Saturday.
He warned that Christmas may be “very different” but said he hoped taking action now would mean families can gather.
Useful Links
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