UPDATE: TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER
Liverpool, along with Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral is being placed into the ‘very high’ alert level of the Government’s new three-tier system of interventions to tackle the spread of COVID-19.
It means the city and the wider Liverpool City Region will, from Wednesday 14 October, be under the strictest set of restrictions due to the high rate of infection in the area.
The new restrictions include:
Pubs and bars will close. They can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal
Indoor gyms and fitness/dance studios, sports facilities, leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos will close
Wedding receptions will not be permitted, although services can go-ahead with a limit of 15 people
People should try to avoid travelling outside their local area, or entering another area rated Very High other than for work, education, accessing youth services, or to meet caring responsibilities
People should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if they are resident in the Liverpool City Region and avoid staying overnight in the Liverpool City Region if they are resident elsewhere.
In addition:
You must not socialise with anybody you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting or in any private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events
You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in an outdoor public space such as a park or beach, the countryside, a public garden or a sports venue
However:
Schools and universities remain open
Places of worship remain open, but household mixing is not permitted
We have updated the Frequently Asked Questions below to reflect the latest measures, and will add more detail when we receive it.
What are the new and existing measures?
• You must not socialise with anybody you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting or in any private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events
• You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in an outdoor public space such as a park or beach, the countryside, a public garden or a sports venue
• Pubs and bars will close. They can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal
• Indoor gyms and fitness/dance studios, sports facilities, leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos will close
• Late night restriction of operating hours will be introduced, with leisure and entertainment venues required to close between 10pm to 5am
• Takeaways will not be able to sell alcohol or food from 10pm to 5am, but can deliver
Residents are also advised to adhere to the following guidance to further reduce rates of infection:
• Only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work, getting food, medicine or for health and wellbeing related reasons
• Holidays should be taken only with people from your own household or support bubble
• Not attend amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.
Where are the measures being introduced in our area?
Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Halton.
Why are the measures being introduced?
These measures will help to address the significant rise in coronavirus cases in the region in recent weeks.
There is an increased risk of transmission the more people who gather together. Our data shows an increased rate of transmission in homes, at parties, pubs and restaurants.
We are doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable, keep businesses open and children in school, which these measures will help with.
How long will it last?
The tier-3 measures for Liverpool City Region, introduced on 14 October, will be reviewed monthly.
Most of the national measures which began on 3 October will be in place until March 2021.
What are the household rules?
You must not socialise with anybody you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting or in any private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events
You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in an outdoor public space such as a park or beach, the countryside, a public garden or a sports venue.
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, 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
• for the purposes of childcare for children under the age of 14 or vulnerable adults, when it is necessary for caring purposes
• 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.
Do any of the measures affect childcare?
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.
Formal and informal arrangements for caring for children under 14 or vulnerable adults can continue. An example would include where a grandparent looks after a child so a parent can go out to work. Or taking them and picking them up from school. It does not allow for play dates and parties.
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.
Do these measures affect access to education?
No. Schools, colleges and universities remain open and are operating in a COVID-secure way. University students must follow the specific guidance and rules set by their university.
Does my child need to wear a face covering at school?
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.
Parents must wear a face covering when dropping off and picking up children at school, and socially distance from others.
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. Workplaces and schools themselves should also be implementing Covid-secure measures.
Can I go to someone’s house in an area not subject to the restrictions?
You should not visit anyone’s home inside or outside of the restricted area (except for your support bubble).
Can I go to a care home?
You should not visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances. An example would include someone receiving end-of-life care. Care homes should restrict visits to these circumstances.
If you are planning to visit relatives in care homes outside the affected areas, then check with the care home prior to travelling to ensure that they are still open to visits from family members.
What are the changes for the hospitality venues?
Pubs and bars will close. They can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal.
The following must close from 10pm to 5am:
• 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)
• 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
During opening hours (5am to 10pm), there should be table service-only, including ordering drinks and food.
As elsewhere in the country, venues must also take details of customers for NHS Test and Trace.
Between 10pm and 5am each day hot food takeaways can only operate a delivery service.
Travelling funfairs are also prohibited.
Can I still go to a hospitality venue or public venues with people who don’t live with me?
You must not socialise with anybody you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting or in most outdoor hospitality venues, incouding beer gardens. and ticketed events.
You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in an outdoor public space such as a park or beach, the countryside, a public garden or a sports venue.
People are advised to only visit COVID-safe premises that are visibly adhering to the guidelines.
Customers need to wear a face covering when not sat at a table for food or drink, and staff must wear one at all times.
Why can I visit a restaurant 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 buy food or drink from takeaways from 10pm – 5am?
No. However, takeaways can deliver to your home if you place an order by phone or online.
Are rules changing for other businesses?
Businesses need to display the official NHS QR code posters so that customers can ‘check-in’ at different premises using this option as an alternative to providing their contact details once the app is rolled out nationally. In addition, guidance stating that face coverings and visors should be worn in close contact services will now become law.
Businesses and organisations have to make their premises COVID-Secure. The rules are:
Leisure and entertainment venues, services provided in community centres, and close contact services are subject to the COVID-19 Secure requirements in law.
Employers must not knowingly require or encourage someone who is being required to self-isolate to come to work.
Businesses must remind people to wear face coverings where mandated.
Businesses can be fined by local authorities or the police if they fail to fulfil the obligations placed on them in law. This includes ensuring that people do not meet in their premises with people outside of their household or support bubble, ensuring that tables are appropriately spaced, that loud music isn’t played, and that customers do not sing in non-household groups, or dance. Fines will be issued:
- £1,000 for the first offence
- £2,000 for the second offence
- £4,000 for the third offence
- and then £10,000 for the fourth and all subsequent offences
Working from home
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.
Can my wedding go ahead?
Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are limited to 15 people.
Wedding receptions and civil partnership celebrations are not allowed.
Anyone working at these ceremonies or events are not included as part of the person limit.
These events should comply with the COVID-19 Secure guidance and venue capacity. See detailed guidance for small marriages and civil partnerships.
Can people living outside Merseyside come to my wedding?
People living outside of Liverpool City Region can travel to our area to attend a wedding, civil partnership ceremony or funeral, but they must not meet with another household in a private home or garden. They should avoid staying overnight.
How many people can attend a funeral?
A maximum of 30 people should attend a funeral.
Anyone working at these ceremonies or events are not included as part of the person limit.
All other religious or belief-based standalone life cycle ceremonies or celebrations are limited to 6 people if outdoors and only one household and support bubble indoors.
Wakes are limited to 15 people and you cannot host a wake for anyone outside your own household or support bubble in your home or garden.
Can we have a wake in a public venue?
Gatherings in a hospitality setting are limited to 6 people and you must socially distance with those not from your household.
Do the restrictions apply to places of worship?
You may attend a mosque, church, synagogue, temple or other place or worship, but you should socially distance from people outside of your household. This means maintaining a distance of 2 metres, or 1 metre with mitigations (such as wearing face coverings).
If possible, prayer or religious services should take place outdoors.
What are the changes to playing sports?
Unless formally organised by a sports club or similar organisation, with guidance issued by a sports governing body, team sports should not take place at an indoor venue with people who you don’t live with. A maximum of six people are allowed to take part in an adult team sport.
You can continue to take part in organised sporting or licensed physical activity in groups of more than 6 outdoors and only one household and support bubble (for over 18s) indoors. There is an exemption for indoor sports if it is organised for the purposes of someone who has a disability taking part and an exemption for children’s activities.
Outdoor activities either need to be organised by a national governing body, club, registered instructor/coach, business or charity, and/or involve someone who has received an official licence to use equipment relevant to the activity. In all cases, the organiser must conduct a risk assessment and ensure compliance with COVID-19 Secure guidance.
You should only be playing team sports where the relevant governing body has published guidance on how to do so safely and is outdoors. See a list of team sports governing bodies which have developed guidance. For all other sports, guidance is available from your governing body and details on how to safely undertake this activity within an organised environment.
Organised dance and exercise classes can take place in groups of more than 6 outdoors, where a risk assessment has been carried out, but you must not mix with more than five other participants. The relevant indoor sport facilities guidance or outdoor guidance must be followed for these activities. Outdoor organised sport and physical activity events are allowed provided they follow guidance for the public on the phased return of outdoor sport and recreation in England.
We advise that you should not attend amateur or professional sporting events as a spectator in the affected local areas. If you do attend, you must remain socially distanced and groups of no more than 6 when outdoors (and if indoors only with your household or support bubble).
As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Liverpool City Council and its partners would like to inform all adult and junior football leagues and teams who use Liverpool City Council operated grass and 3g football pitches of the following guidance and restrictions with regard to spectators attending any amateur football matches.
In line with government and Football Association guidance the following applies:
No spectators are allowed to attend any adult amateur football match taking place on Liverpool City Council operated grass or 3g pitches. Only the referee, players and manager of each team should attend matches
For junior football matches, a maximum of one parent or guardian will be allowed to attend a match with their child for the duration of their fixture. Please leave promptly at the end of the fixture.
We understand that this request may cause some inconvenience but this is made to enable the safe continuation of grass roots football. Liverpool City Council will continue to take proactive community-focused steps to help control the spread of the virus in the city.
Use of pavilions and facilities
We would also like to remind teams that where we have pavilions and facilities on site these remain accessible for use of the toilets only, changing rooms and showers remain closed.
Anyone entering the building needs to scan the QR codes clearly displayed in the communal areas to access the NHS Track and Trace app.
Team signing in sheets remain in use and should be completed promptly on arrival. For those teams that play on 3g hub sites the signing in process already in place at these facilities should continue to be followed.
Can I travel to play sport outside of the areas with restrictions?
People should try to avoid travelling outside their local area, or entering another area rated Very High other than for work, education, accessing youth services, or to meet caring responsibilities
Can I go to the gym, gym class or a swimming pool?
Gyms and leisure centres have had to close under the tier-3 restrictions.
Lifestyles Fitness Centre users will have their direct debit payments frozen.
Can I go to the park and other outdoor space with others?
You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in an outdoor public space such as a park or beach, the countryside, a public garden or a sports venue.
Can I have someone in my house (or go into someone’s house) to do repairs or other work?
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.
Can I still go on holiday?
People should try to avoid travelling outside their local area, or entering another area rated Very High other than for work, education, accessing youth services, or to meet caring responsibilities
People should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if they are resident in the Liverpool City Region and avoid staying overnight in the Liverpool City Region if they are resident elsewhere.
Travel and transport
You should follow all relevant transport guidance when making a journey into, within or out of the affected local areas.
You must wear a face covering on public transport, taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) and in substantially enclosed areas of transport hubs in England (as well as other indoor premises).
You will be breaking the law if you fail to do so and could be fined. Some people do not have to wear a face covering including for age, health, or disability reasons.
You should minimise non-essential travel when travelling into, within and out of the affected local areas. We encourage you to walk or cycle where possible and to plan your journey in advance, avoiding busy times and routes if possible. Examples of essential travel include:
- to get to and from work
- to get essential food or medical supplies including click and collect services
- to support someone who is vulnerable, if no one else can do so
- to travel to and from the homes of others in your support bubble
- to attend an early years setting, school or college, or to accompany a child who is attending an early years setting, school, college or university where necessary
- to fulfil legal obligations
- to seek medical care, or avoid illness, injury or harm
You should also try not to share a car with those outside your household or support bubble. If you need to, try to:
- share the car with the same people each time
- keep to small groups of people at any one time
- open windows for ventilation
- travel side by side or behind other people, rather than facing them, where seating arrangements allow
- consider seating arrangements to maximise distance between people in the vehicle
- clean your car between journeys using standard cleaning products – make sure you clean door handles and other areas that people may touch
- ask the driver and passengers to wear a face covering
See more guidance on car sharing and travelling with people outside your household group.
Liverpool City Council was the first in the country to approve a locally-designed protective screen for taxis and private hire vehicles.
Are the airport, train stations and ports still open?
Yes
Can I move home?
Yes
What about people who were previously shielding?
People with health conditions and those who were asked to shield are still particularly vulnerable and need to take special care during this worrying period and to be extra cautious and follow the new guidance.
Support groups
From Thursday 24 September, support groups are limited to a maximum of 15 people.
What support is available for vulnerable residents?
Liverpool City Council have established an Isolation Advice Line to help people who have been asked to self-isolate and have NO means of support from friends, family, or neighbours, to remain at home. Get in touch if you need help with:
• Shopping
• Emergency Foodbanks
• Collecting Prescriptions
• Or just having a friendly voice just to speak to
Our advice line 0151 233 3066 is open 8am to 6pm Mon-Fri. An online form is also available 7 days a week at https://liverpool.gov.uk/covidsupport
Support for people on low incomes who are self-isolating (from 28 September)
People in Liverpool who are working or self-employed and on a low income, who must self-isolate due to Covid-19 and cannot work from home, will soon be able to claim a £500 lump-sum payment from the government.
From Monday 28 September, people with Covid-19 symptoms will be required to self-isolate by law. To help those who on low incomes who are unable to work from home, the government has announced it will be providing the £500 ‘Test and Trace Support’ payment.
The payment scheme will be co-ordinated locally by Liverpool City Council – similar to the business support grant and Without Walls Hospitality Fund.
The scheme will be expected to be up and running by Monday 12 October. Anyone self-isolating from Monday 28 September onwards will receive a back-dated payment.
You have to be in work or self-employed, but unable to work and, for the mandatory scheme, in receipt of a means tested benefit.
The application form can be found at https://liverpool.gov.uk/benefits/advice-and-support/coronavirus-benefits-advice-and-support/test-and-trace-support-payment/
What do I do if I see someone breaking the rules?
Environmental health officers have new responsibilities to ensure appropriate public health measures are being followed during the coronavirus pandemic.
The police will be able to take action against those who break these rules, including asking people to disperse and issuing fixed penalty notices starting at £200 for those who participate in illegal gatherings.
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.
You can report a business that should not be open or is open outside of permitted hours or is failing to ensure that staff and customers maintain safe social distancing and hygiene measures here.
We’ll investigate and where necessary deal with the business using powers in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Business Closure) (England) Regulations 2020, working with police colleagues where appropriate.
Offending businesses could also be issued with written warning and if they continue to flout the regulations, they may be served with a notice to close.
If an individual is breaching restrictions, you can report it to Merseyside Police by calling 101.
Where do I find information on infection rates?
You can find information on the council’s website www.liverpool.gov.uk/covidcases
What do I do if I have symptoms of COVID-19?
More information about symptoms and how to get a test can be found here.
