Tier 2 (High) Covid-19 restrictions FAQs
Tier 2 (High) Covid-19 restrictions FAQs
Tier 2 (High level) local restrictions are now in place across Gedling Borough, to help stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Tier 2 restrictions mean:
• No mixing in indoor settings outside of your support bubble or immediate household
• Rule of 6: if meeting outside, you cannot meet with more than 6 people unless you all live together or are in the same support bubble. You can still mix in private gardens
• Restaurants, pubs, cafes, social clubs, casinos and bars must close by 10pm
• Hands (wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds), Face (wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will coming into contact with people you do not normally meet), Space (stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing a face covering, or increasing ventilation indoors).
We are also advising that:
• Residents are advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as traveling to school or work
• Holidays should not be taken with members outside of your own household or support bubble
• Residents are advised against attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.
People who have symptoms of Covid-19 – high temperature, continuous cough or loss of taste or smell – must self-isolate immediately and book a test online or by calling 119.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do the restrictions cover?
They cover the whole of Gedling Borough.
Why are the measures being introduced?
These measures will help to address the rise in coronavirus cases in Gedling Borough in recent weeks. We must limit contact between people from different households to stop the spread of Covid-19. This will help to save lives.
How long will it last?
The tier 2 restrictions were brought in across Gedling Borough at 00:01 hours on Wednesday 14th October. Restrictions will be monitored closely and reviewed on a fortnightly basis. The next steps will depend on the impact the measures have.
What are the household changes?
You must not meet people who do not live with you or are not part of your support bubble indoors, 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 where the children do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents
• to continue contact between ‘looked after’ siblings
What other gatherings are exempt?
Exceptions to the rules about gatherings include:
• gatherings for work and voluntary/charitable services
• gatherings for education/training
• marriages and civil partnerships and related receptions (no more than 15 persons)
• funerals and wakes (no more than 30 persons)
• socially distanced protests
• elite sports
• permitted indoor sports
Do these measures affect childcare?
You can continue to use early years and childcare settings, including childminders, after-school clubs and nannies. You can also continue to employ nannies, including those living outside of the borough. The following people can provide childcare support in private homes and gardens:
• registered childcare providers, including nannies
• people in your support bubble
• people in your childcare bubble
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. It does not allow for play-dates or parties.
Children of parents who are separated can continue to move between households.
We would advise that vulnerable people should not provide childcare.
For more information, visit the government’s webpage on local high Covid alert guidance.
Can grandparents from the same household (i.e. grandma and grandad) both provide childcare?
Yes. Grandparents who live in the same household, i.e. grandma and grandad, can link with one other household so that the parents of the children can work.
I have two sets of grandparents who live in separate households looking after my children. Is this allowed?
No. You can only link with one other household at any time, so the parents of the children can work.
I am a grandparent, how many of my grandchildren can I look after?
One set from one household, so the parents can work.
I don't live with my partner, can I still go to their house?
If you and your partner don't live together, you can form a support bubble, provided one of you lives alone. If you don't meet the criteria to form a bubble, you cannot meet indoors.
What is a support bubble?
A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult 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.
Can I still go to work?
The guidance states to work from home where you can, however if you cannot work from home you should continue go to your place of work. Those classed as clinically extremely vulnerable can go to work as long as the workplace is COVID-19 secure, but should carry on working from home wherever possible.
Can I travel outside the area for work or school?
Yes, people living inside and outside of these areas can continue to travel for work or school.
Do these measures affect access to education?
No. Schools, colleges and universities remain open and are operating in a Covid-secure way.
Can I go to someone's house in an area not subject to the restrictions?
No. If you live in a high alert level area you cannot meet indoors with people outside of the area, unless exceptions apply.
Can I go to a care home?
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.
What are the changes for the hospitality venues?
The following must close from 10.00pm to 5.00am:
• 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, or those where there is no practical alternative for staff at that workplace to obtain food)
• 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
• travelling funfairs are also prohibited
During opening hours (5.00am to 10.00pm), venues serving alcohol must operate a table service only for food and drinks - this includes ordering. Those venues who don't serve alcohol can operate counter service, but the consumption of food and drinks should take place at a table as much as possible.
Hospitality venues must take reasonable steps to ensure that bookings are not accepted, or customers admitted onto the premises if they:
• are groups of more than one household and support bubble if they will be located indoors
• or more than 6 people if the group does include multiple households if they will be seated outside.
As elsewhere in the country, venues must also take details of customers for NHS Test and Trace.
What about takeaways?
Hot food takeaways should close to walk-ins between 10.00pm and 5.00am each day, but they can continue to operate a delivery service during these hours through a website, telephone, text message, post, or by 'drive-throughs'.
Can I still go to a hospitality venue, like a pub or restaurant, with family and friends who don't live with me?
No. You can only visit the venues listed below with members of your own household (or support bubble):
• 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
• Workplace canteens (except those at hospital, care home, school, prison, those providing food or drink to the homeless or those intended for naval military or air force purposes, or those where there is no practical alternative for staff at that workplace to obtain food).
It is also advised that you don't visit a beer garden/pavement cafe with other households or congregate outside a public venue.
Why can I visit the pub but not my relative's house?
This is because the hospitality industry has enhanced measures, such as risk assessments and test and trace, which private homes don't have.
Can I meet up outdoors, i.e. on the beach or in a park, with other households?
You may continue to see friends and family you do not live with (or have not formed a support bubble with) outside, including in a garden or other outdoor space. When you do so, you must not meet in a group of more than 6. This limit of 6 includes children of any age.
Are there restrictions on weddings, civil partnerships and funerals?
The following attendance limits apply for weddings and funerals:
• Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are limited to 15 people
• Wedding receptions and celebrations can continue for up to 15 people in the form of a sit-down meal and in a Covid-secure setting, not in a private dwelling
• Funerals (including ceremonies at crematoria) are limited to 30 people, wakes or linked ceremonial events before or after the funeral are limited to 15 people and must not take place in private homes
• People living outside of a high alert level area can travel to this area to attend an event but they must follow all high alert level guidance
• All other religious or belief-based standalone life cycle ceremonies or celebrations are limited to 6 people.
Anyone working at these ceremonies or events are not included as part of the person limit. The additional restriction on mixing with other households within indoor settings does not change the attendance limits.
What are the changes to playing sports?
Exercise classes and organised sport can continue to take place outdoors. Organised indoor exercise classes are only permitted if it is possible for people to avoid mixing in with people you do not live with or share a support bubble with. There are exceptions to enable disability and youth sport and physical activity indoors, in any number. You should follow the guidance on:
• the return of recreational team sport
• the return of outdoor sport and recreation in England.
Can I travel to play sport outside of the areas with restrictions?
Yes, providing it is organised by a national governing body, club, registered instructor, business or charity or someone with an official licence. Please wear a face covering if using public transport unless exempt.
Can I go to the gym, gym class, leisure centre or a swimming pool?
Yes, as long as these venues have the required Covid-secure risk assessments and guidelines in place.
Can I have someone in my house (or go into someone's house) to do repairs or other work?
Only 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. This includes mobile hairdressers and beauticians.
Can I visit a friend or relative in hospital or accompany them to an appointment?
Please check with the hospital before visiting.
Can I still go on holiday?
You can still travel within high alert level areas to hotels and other guest accommodation, but you should only do this with people in your household or support bubble. You can still go on holiday outside of high alert level areas, but you must only do this with people in your household or support bubble.
When leaving the area for social reasons please only do so with members of your own household and do not mix inside with other people outside of your household whilst you are away.
What about public transport and car sharing?
Residents are advised to walk or cycle when possible and when travelling by car to only travel with those in your household and/or support bubble. It is advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work. Face coverings must be worn unless exempt.
Can I move home?
Yes.
How to do I book a test and what happens next?
You need to get tested as soon as possible (within the first five days of having symptoms). You can book online NHS: Get a test to check if you have coronavirus or by calling NHS 119. You will then be invited to a test site - or you can order a home test kit if you can't get to a test site.
The testing service continues to be very busy throughout the country, so please only book one if you have symptoms or have been asked to get tested by the NHS Test and Trace Programme. If you cannot get a test at first, or the location or time are not convenient, try again in a few hours as slots become available. If no tests are available online, do not call the helpline to get a test as no extra tests are available through it.
NHS Test and Trace has seen unprecedented demand for testing recently, but new booking slots and home testing kits are made available daily and it is targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most. It has also doubled its capacity to process tests - most people get their results the next day.
I have symptoms, does the rest of my household need to book a test?
If someone in your household starts to have symptoms, then that person must get tested and the rest of the household should self-isolate with them whilst they wait for the results. If you or other members of the household don't have symptoms, then you should not get a test - only people with symptoms should get tested. It is very important that people with symptoms and their household members stay at home before the test and until they receive their results. Do I need to self-isolate even though my test result was negative? A negative result means the test did not find coronavirus. You do not need to self-isolate if your test is negative, as long as:
• everyone you live with (or your support bubble) who has symptoms tests negative
• you were not told to self-isolate for 14 days by NHS Test and Trace
• you feel well - if you feel unwell, stay at home until you're feeling better.
Full guidance on self-isolating can be found on the Government's website Gov.uk: Stay at home - guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.
What do I do if I see someone breaking the rules?
Where people are breaking the rules, we will seek to engage, explain and encourage them to adhere to the restrictions. However, enforcement action will be taken where appropriate. If an individual is breaching restrictions, you can report it to Nottinghamshire Police by calling 101. The police will assess the circumstances to determine the appropriate action. Once the legislation is in place, the police or the local authority will be able to take action against those who break these rules, including asking people to disperse and issuing fixed penalty notices starting at £100. 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 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.