Update to venue closures

Warrington residents urged not to visit other households

The council has confirmed that no additional localised restrictions will come into force in advance of the new national restrictions later this week.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement over the weekend that there will be new national restrictions in place from Thursday 5 November, the previously confirmed list of indoor venues that were due to close from today, Monday 2 November, will now close in line with the national restrictions later this week.

Any localised restrictions already in force will remain in place until they are superseded by the national restrictions.

This means that the following venues that were due to close from today, can now remain open until 0.01am on Thursday:

  • Bowling alleys
  • Cinemas
  • Bingo halls
  • Concert halls, theatres, musical performance venues
  • Circuses, funfairs and fixed fairgrounds
  • Car boot sales (including those that take place outdoors)

However, closures of venues which were already in force under Tier 3 prior to the announcement including, pubs and bars that do not serve substantial meals, casinos, betting shops, adult gaming centres and soft play centres must remain closed until the national measures are reviewed in December.

Retail, leisure centres, gyms, fitness centres, climbing walls, trampoline parks, and places of worship can remain open until the national restrictions come into place as long as they are COVID-secure.

From 00.01am on Thursday 5 November, to reduce social contact, the government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close until Wednesday 2 December at the earliest. These include:

  • 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
  • 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
  • Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, concert halls, zoos, and other animal attractions
  • Personal care facilities such as hairdressers, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons

Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services can remain open. Essential retail should follow COVID-secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and staff. Non-essential retail can remain open for delivery to customers, or if they offer a click-and-collect service.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Russ Bowden, said: “Prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement over the weekend, we had been having ongoing conversations with the government to implement further restrictions locally for the sake of the health of our most vulnerable and elderly loved ones. We believed this was the right path to follow for our town as, put simply, the fewer enclosed public venues that remain open, the lower the risk of the virus being transmitted. This approach is now being taken nationally to help drive case numbers down.

“The current capacity in our hospital, and the availability of intensive care beds, remain at an absolutely critical point. And with more than 40 coronavirus-related deaths in October, we must all work together to keep ourselves and others as safe as possible. This means adhering to the current local restrictions, and then the national restrictions from Thursday.

“I want to reassure affected businesses and venues that must close, that financial support will be made available. Our officers are currently working through the allocation of this funding and we will make clear how you can access this support through the council website, in the coming days.

“I know this second national lockdown will be a disappointing decision for many of our residents and businesses but we know that we need to do more at this point to address the continued high case numbers in our town. The number of people testing positive for coronavirus remains high, and with more people being admitted into hospital, at the beginning of what will be a very testing winter period, we need to act now.

“I want to thank all of our residents for their commitment to playing their part. Giving up the last seven months of your ‘normal lives’ by following the rules and restrictions could well be the reason someone else is alive today – whether you know them or not. Please don’t lose sight of that throughout November. And don’t lose sight of the basics amidst the additional rules, like frequently washing your hands, wearing a face covering, and maintaining social distance when you have to leave home for essential purposes, as these are the most effective steps we can all take.”

Further information about the local restrictions in place until Thursday 5 November, and the national restrictions, can be viewed at warrington.gov.uk/coronavirus

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