Covid-19
Government restrictions for Leeds
Frequently asked questions
26 September 2020

Context:

Due to the high infection rate in Leeds, the government has introduced additional local restrictions for the city, some of which are enforceable. These measures are on top of the recent national regulations announced, including hospitality changes. The relevant gov.uk page is West Yorkshire restrictions.

Key messages:

Whilst these additional local restrictions are important to help slow down the spread of the virus, they are only one aspect of the actions we can take.

The important advice continues to be:

• Keep a safe distance wherever you can
• Wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
• Cover your face in enclosed spaces
• Isolate when you need to/are advised to
• Only get a test if you have coronavirus symptoms
• Get the App now that it is available, and get a QR code if you run any venues
• Be aware of the penalties for breaking the rules

Everyone has a responsibility to do their bit to help limit the spread – please play your part and encourage others to do the same.

We need more people, to do more of the right thing, more of the time, because they choose to.

The council and all partners in the city are taking a wide range of actions to limit the spread, for example: testing, tracing, door knocking, infection prevention and control, compliance and enforcement, and extensive communications and engagement with the public and partners. The best places for advice are gov.uk, the council’s website and relevant social media accounts.

Applying some of the rules is complex. There are national and local restrictions, rules about individuals as well as businesses and places, plus a combination of law and advice. It is the interplay between these rules that makes it complex and requires judgement. If in doubt, think about the overall aim being to reduce contact and err on the side of caution if you can, whilst still enabling important aspects of life and wellbeing to continue.

The following pages provides some question and answer information about the government’s restrictions that have been applied to Leeds to help everyone get used to the new rules. This document is based on the government guidance and will be reviewed and updated regularly. Email mariana.pexton@leeds.gov.uk if you think there is something crucial missing.

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Frequently asked questions about applying the government’s restrictions for Leeds

Who do these restrictions apply to?

The government restrictions apply to the whole city even if you don’t have an LS postcode – if your wheelie bin gets emptied by Leeds City Council – they apply to you.

When are these government restrictions applicable from?

The government restrictions are applicable from midnight on Friday 25 September.

How long will these additional restrictions from government be applied to Leeds?

The restrictions will be regularly reviewed by government, depending on infection rates, but it is unlikely that they will be removed quickly. The recent additional national restrictions are expected to be in place for 6 months.

How do the additional government restrictions affect me, my family and my friends?

If you live in Leeds, in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus you must not:

• host people you do not live with in your home or garden, unless they’re in your support or childcare bubble
• meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside the affected local areas, unless they’re in your support or childcare bubble

Your household is defined as the people you live with and any support or childcare bubble.

A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with another household. Households within a bubble can still visit each other, stay overnight, and visit public places together.

A childcare bubble is where someone in one household can provide informal (i.e. unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. This must occur on an exclusive basis – always the same two households.

Are these additional restrictions law or advice?

Household mixing within the home or garden is law and enforceable, apart from the exemptions listed below. Household mixing in other places eg pubs, parks etc is government advice.

What are the exemptions for when people can still come inside your home or garden for specific purposes?

These are set out in law and are as follows:

• 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 and informal childcare as part of a childcare bubble
• 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

What action can be taken against me?

The police will be able to take action against those that 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

Can we mix households in other venues and places?

If you live in Leeds, the government advises that you should not:

• socialise with people you do not live with, unless they’re in your support bubble, in any public venue. This applies to inside and outside of the affected areas. Examples of public venues include pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions and parks
• visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances.

What should I do if I am a business or organisation in Leeds?

If you operate a business or organise events within the affected areas you should take steps to ensure people do not socialise with people they do not live with, in line with COVID-19 secure guidance.

How is travel affected by the government restrictions for Leeds?

There are no specific travel restrictions for Leeds, but you should follow all relevant transport guidance when making a journey into, within or out of the areas affected. 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. You 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.

Can I car share in Leeds given the additional government restrictions?

The government advises that you should 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
• face away from each other
• 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

Can I travel outside the area?

You can travel outside your area. However, you must not meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of your area, unless they’re in your support bubble.

You can still go on holiday outside of your area, but you should only do this with people you live with (or have formed a support bubble with).

What about people coming to Leeds on holiday?

There is separate guidance on what to do if you have booked holiday accommodation in an area with local restrictions.

What about if I was shielding?

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable, the government are not currently advising that you need to shield, however it is important that you continue to take precautions.

Find out more from the general guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable people

eg strongly advised to follow the advice to prevent infection closely, including limiting the number of overall contacts they make every day from outside the home and working from home if they can. People in this group are also advised to take additional precautions if they live with someone who comes in to contact with a large number of people – such as through attending school, using public transport, being in the work place or socialising. This includes that person washing their hands and changing their clothes when they re-enter the home.

Should children who are clinically extremely vulnerable (the shielding group) attend school in Leeds?

Yes, but any child who is on the national shielded patient list should have a risk assessment in place for attending school. For most children who are clinically extremely vulnerable it is not deemed clinically necessary to shield at home at the moment and so should attend school – unless on the specific advice of their medical team. This usually applies if they are undergoing chemotherapy or have had a recent organ transplant. If a parent/carer or child is worried about attending school because they are clinically extremely vulnerable, they are advised to discuss this with school and agree any additional measures.

Can I play team sport and do physical activity or dance?

You can continue to take part in organised sporting or licensed physical activity in groups of more than 6 outdoors and up to 6 people indoors (for over 18s). There is an exemption for indoor sports if it is organised for the purposes of someone who has a disability taking part and for children’s activities.

These 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.

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, 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.

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.

How are weddings and funerals affected by the government restrictions?

As of Monday 14 September, in line with the new rules across the whole of England, you must not meet in a group of more than 6 people in any location. Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and receptions, funerals (including ceremonies at crematoria) and other religious or belief based life-cycle ceremonies are exempt.

In all affected areas the following applies:

• Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are limited to 15 people from 28 September
• 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 from 28 September
• Funerals (including ceremonies at crematoria) are limited to 30 people
• All other religious or belief-based standalone life cycle ceremonies or celebrations are limited to 6 people from 28 September

Anyone working at these ceremonies or events are not included as part of the person limit.

These events must comply with COVID-19 secure guidance and venue capacity.

See detailed guidance for small marriages and civil partnerships.

People living outside of these areas can travel to these areas to attend a wedding, civil partnership ceremony or funeral, but they must not meet with another household in a private home or garden.

What about religious ceremonies and 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.

Can I go to work?

People living inside and outside of the affected areas can continue to travel in and out for work. Workplaces must implement COVID-19 secure guidance. However, 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 I move house given the additional government restrictions in Leeds?

People can move home. Estate and letting agents as well as removals firms can continue to work and people looking to move home can continue to undertake viewings.

How is childcare affected by the additional government restrictions for Leeds?

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 – see guidance on working safely in other people’s homes.

The following people can provide childcare support in private homes and gardens:

• Registered childcare providers, including nannies
• People who are in your support bubble
• People who are in your childcare support bubble

Friends or family who do not live with you and are not part of a support or childcare bubble must not visit your home to help with childcare.

A support bubble is where a lone adult household with one adult joins with another household (on an exclusive basis).

A childcare bubble is where someone in one household can provide informal (i.e. unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. This must occur on an exclusive basis – always the same two households.

We recommend that you form a support bubble or childcare support bubble with a household that lives locally wherever possible. This will help to prevent the virus spreading from an area where there might be a higher rate of infection.

Children of parents who are separated can continue to move between households.

Are there any additional implications for schools and colleges?

In education settings where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by staff, visitors and pupils/students when moving around in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain. It is not necessary to wear face coverings in the classroom, where protective measures already mean the risks are lower and they may inhibit teaching and learning.

How do these new government restrictions for Leeds affect universities and higher education?

You can move home and travel in order to attend or work at a university or higher educational establishment. This applies to the whole country, including Leeds.

You should follow all relevant university and higher educational guidance if you attend, work at or manage higher education establishments, including universities and associated accommodation. The guidance also covers what to do in the event of an outbreak at these establishments. It is important to understand how to minimise risk during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and ensure that the experience of attending or working at these establishments is enjoyable and as safe as possible.

We recognise the pressure of attending or working at these establishments during these uncertain times. There are support services within your university or higher education establishment to help you should you need advice or support. In addition, we have worked with the Office for Students to provide the Student Space platform, which seeks to bridge gaps in mental support for students arising from this unprecedented situation. It provides a range of information, access to dedicated support services, details of the support available at each university, and tools to help students manage the challenges of their student life.

How do the government’s social contact restrictions affect students?

If you are a student in Leeds, you must not meet or host people you do not live with in private homes or gardens unless they are in your support bubble, please see below to understand how this may affect you.

If you live student halls or official accommodation in Leeds:

• you must not meet people in a group of more than 6
• you must not meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected areas, unless they’re in your support bubble
• you should not host people you do not live with in your student halls, unless they’re in your support bubble
• you should not meet people you do not live with in their student halls, whether inside or outside of the affected areas unless they’re in your support bubble

If you live in private rented accommodation in Leeds:

• you must not meet people in a group of more than 6.
• you must not host people you do not live with in your home or garden, unless they’re in your support bubble
• you must not meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected areas, unless they’re in your support bubble
• you should not meet people you do not live with in their student halls, whether inside or outside of the affected areas unless they’re in your support bubble

You commute into an affected area to attend or work at a university:

• you must not meet people in a group of more than 6.
• you must not meet people you do not live with in their home or garden inside one of the affected areas, unless they’re in your support bubble
• you must not host people you do not live with in your home or garden, if they live in one of the affected areas, unless they’re in your support bubble
• you should not meet people you do not live with in their student halls, whether inside or outside of one of the affected areas unless they’re in your support bubble

Is there a possibility that university students may be unable to return home for the Christmas holidays?

Currently this is not known and will likely be determined nationally and dependent on infection rates, nearer the time. However, Leeds City Council would not support students having to stay in their university area for Christmas.

Can people still go on holiday, either within the U.K. or abroad?

This remains the same as the national restrictions and are not affected by any local lockdowns. The main advice will be to not travel or mix with other households, including while you’re on holiday.

Please check the government’s website for travel guidance and the latest list of travel corridors.

If a holiday is booked on a UK coach and all social distancing measures are in place, can people still go?

This remains the same as the national restrictions and are not affected by any local restrictions. The main advice will be to not travel or mix with other households, including while you’re there.

Please check the government’s website for travel guidance.

Will there be any new measures in place at Leeds Bradford Airport to stop people bringing the virus into the city from abroad?

Currently this is not part of the government’s strategy.

Can community volunteer groups (such as food banks, community litter picks) continue? Including garden makeovers and helping people who have a disabilities and/or older residents.

They are allowed to continue, providing people maintain strict social distancing, including with the residents they are helping.

This is set out in law (for the provision of voluntary or charitable services).

Government guidance can be found here.

How do I report a breach of the local or national restrictions to the Police?

There are various methods to contact the Police, which can be done from the safety of your own home, including telephone, 101 live chat and online reporting.

Only dial 999 if it is an emergency.

Have the plans to allow councillors to restart advice surgeries been put on hold?

Given the aim of these restrictions is to minimise social contact then as much business as possible should be done online. There may be exceptions where face to face is needed, and these must be done in line within the law and advice above.

Can local support/charitable groups still go ahead?

This is a complex area and each case maybe slightly different. All cases should be judged against the clear intention of these restrictions being to limit contact, but whilst also trying to avoid a detrimental impact on broader wellbeing. If groups consider the rules allow them to go ahead, then take all additional precautions possible.

What about plans for hybrid council meetings?

Given the aim of these restrictions is to reduce social contact and the advice is to work from home if you can do so effectively, council business will be conducted virtually for the foreseeable future.

What are the different bubbles and how do they work in practice?

A support bubble is where a lone adult household with one adult joins with another household (on an exclusive basis).

A childcare bubble is where someone in one household can provide informal (i.e. unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. This must occur on an exclusive basis – always the same two households.

A bubble in an education setting is specific and only applicable to that setting eg school, nursery etc

Given the aim of these restrictions is to limit contact, people should only be in one of each bubble.

Can I visit a friend of family member who is in a care home?

Current government advice is not to visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances. Care homes should restrict visits to these circumstances. As a city, we are pushing the government for a more compassionate approach that is still safe.

Can I still provide support to an elderly or vulnerable friend or family member?

There is an exemption allowing visits to households to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person.

I work from home, and welcome clients into my home as part of my job. Is this allowed?

In most instances, yes, as long as strict Covid measures are in place, follow this government advice

I go into other people’s homes as part of my job. Is this allowed?

In most instances, yes, as long as strict Covid measures are in place, follow this government advice and consider if your employer/trade representative/trade associations has further specific advice.

Will the new government restrictions that have been applied to Leeds impact on council services?

We are working through the implications of this, but given that the restrictions are primarily aimed at limiting household mixing, we hope that the implications will be minimal. We expect our venues to be operating in the same or similar way to last week prior to the additional restrictions. We don’t expect opening of leisure centres or other attractions to be impacted, we expect housing repairs, and waste service to continue, and community hubs to stay open. We will update changes if they are necessary.