The situation with coronavirus, officially Covid-19, is changing daily. The future situation is unknown but there are resources and advice available which will change as the situation changes.

Updated 31st October: New National Restrictions from 5 November

This is a summary of the Government announcement on 31st October.  Further detailed guidance is awaited and this is subject to being passed into legislation on Wednesday 4th November.

From Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December the following businesses and venues will close:

• all non-essential retail, including, but not limited to clothing and electronics stores, vehicle showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops. Non-essential retail can remain open for delivery to customers and click-and-collect.
• hospitality venues like restaurants, bars and pubs must close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery services. Takeaway of alcohol will not be allowed.
• indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks,
• entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, concert halls, zoos and other animal attractions, botanical gardens,
• personal care facilities such as hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons.

Businesses that can remain open

• food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services (and must continue to follow COVID-secure guidelines).
• playgrounds can remain open.
• hotels, hostels and other accommodation should only open for those who have to travel for work purposes and for a limited number of other exemptions.
• schools, colleges or universities will remain open
• [Some] registered childcare and other childcare activities (including wraparound care) where reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, or for the purposes of respite care. Early years settings can remain open.

Working from home and furlough

• everyone who can work effectively from home must do so
• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is being extended until December. The government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 and employers will pay employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and pension contributions only for the hours the employee does not work.
• Flexible furloughing will be allowed in addition to full-time furloughing.

Business Grants

We are awaiting more information on how grants will be issued but government grants available for businesses required to close are:

• For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants to be £1,334 per month (or £667 for two weeks)
• For properties with a rateable value of between £15k-£51k grants to be £2,000 per month (or £1,000 for two weeks)
• For properties with a rateable value of £51k or over grants to be £3,000 per month (or £1,500 for two weeks).