Severe restrictions have been announced in an effort to combat Coronavirus, please follow NHS and Government advice.

From tonight, people will only be allowed to leave their homes for:

  • Essential shopping – once a day
  • Exercise – once a day
  • Medical reasons or the care of the vulnerable
  • Travel to essential work

The government say they will immediately:

  • Close all shops selling non-essential goods
  • Stop all gatherings of more than two people in public
  • Stop all social events​, including weddings and other ceremonies, but allow funerals

Parks will remain open for exercise but gatherings will be dispersed, he says.

“If you don’t follow the rules the police will have the powers to enforce them, including through fines and dispersing gatherings,” Johnson added.

Boris Johnson also said: “No prime minister wants to enact measures like these. If too many people become unwell at the same time, the NHS will be unable to handle it.”

Official guidance, click to enlarge.
Official guidance, click to enlarge.

What is essential work?

Your work is essential if you work in one of the critical sectors listed below:

  • Health and social care – All NHS staff, including administrative and cleaning workers. Frontline health and social care staff such as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, plus support and specialist staff in the health and social care sector. In addition it includes those working in supply chains including producers and distributors of medicines and personal protective equipment including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.
  • Education and childcare – This includes childcare, support and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.
  • Key public services – This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.
  • Local and national government – This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response, or delivering essential public services, such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.
  • Food and other necessary goods – This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).
  • Public safety and national security – This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.
  • Transport – This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
  • Utilities, communication and financial services  – This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

If workers think they fall within the critical categories above, they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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JohnHartley
JohnHartley
4 years ago

Well I am 2nd generation family business, but not being in the “vital” category, I will shut down tomorrow. In normal times, I would not want government help, but as I am forced to shut, I will need that help. There is vague government talk of help, but no concrete, “you are getting this, but not that”, so I could plan. I do my PAYE through the gov real time system, so a notification through that to each business of what they will & will not get & when they will get it, would help business survival planning.

John Clark
John Clark
4 years ago
Reply to  JohnHartley

Same here John, I’m a self employed business manager, looks like we are entitled to nothing. I am already thinking of ways I can potentially operate and maintain the business (at least keep it viable) from my closed office.

It’s not open to the public and it’s in walking distance from my house. So it’s ‘doable’.

Thanks ‘so much’ all those dim fuc*ing idiots, who just had to get together for a sunny weekend and forced the government’s hand!

Ian
Ian
4 years ago
Reply to  John Clark

Could not agree with you more the cretinous individuals that went out for a jolly have screwed all of us!

I’m allowed out tomorrow to look after kids at school for the day and hope none of them are carrying the virus!

Joe16
Joe16
4 years ago
Reply to  John Clark

Hi John,

Not sure if this helps at all, but the link below is for government’s detailed advice on the closures. My read on it, and from your descritption of your business, is that you can continue to operate (although virtually). As far as government support goes, I believe that the self employed do/will have cosideration made for them- if you have an accountant or similar then I would encourage you to contact them, as they should know more.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/874732/230320_-_Revised_guidance_note_-_finalVF.pdf

Joe16
Joe16
4 years ago
Reply to  JohnHartley

Hi John,

If you are a small business and exempt rates, then you are due a £10k grant, which should be dealt with automatically sometime in April by your local council. The government will also cover 80% of any of your employees’ salaries (including yours), and there are additional business interruption loans (up to £5Million if I recall) which are 0% interest for 12 months. I think there may well be more too, but these may be worth following up for a start.

Things are tough, no doubt, my wife runs her own business too. Hang in there!

JohnHartley
JohnHartley
4 years ago
Reply to  Joe16

For once I found a useful gov.uk page. I am rubbish at posting links but will give it a go.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

JohnHartley
JohnHartley
4 years ago
Reply to  JohnHartley

I hear that some countries in the Far East, are coming out of lockdown. Thanks to pollution, they have a habit of wearing facemasks & a good supply chain for them. Looking at the economic forecasts of the lockdown for the UK, USA & Europe, I wonder if we would be better to lift the lockdown, if we can get everyone to wear facemasks (when out), have hand sanitiser at every shop, office & factory entrance & offer more of the over 55s the pneumonia vaccine. I hate to agree with Trump, but he may be (partly) right when he… Read more »

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
4 years ago

It is not clear to me if Vets are to remain open? They should, as animals need medical care too, and are a great moral booster for isolated people as well as much loved family members.
I guess comes under the Medical category.

Ethan
Ethan
4 years ago

Well, ‘pet stores’ will remain open, so I assume vets will come under one of the two categories.

Chris
Chris
4 years ago

Vets are to remain open but should only be used for emergencies not just routine checkups for Fido.

Lee H
Lee H
4 years ago

All Give us time, we are working on it. We will get to all of you – one step at a time. Most vulnerable first, then those who have “created their own”. We were let down by some at the weekend, but we were not surprised – society is a cross section of people after all and it was sunny (in March). Life does go on, it’s just different. The MoD making a cluster of the next review if not left unchecked is one such example where nothing in the long run changes. So UKDefencejoirnal.org.uk – the USMC has just… Read more »

JohnHartley
JohnHartley
4 years ago
Reply to  Lee H

Yes, so the USMC is getting rid of its 3 tank brigades, just as the Chinese & Russians are showing off their new armour. If the USMC wanted to swap a heavy 57+ton M1 for a more deployable medium tank, such as the 26 ton M8 or similar, I could understand it, but ditching tanks altogether seems unwise.
Also getting rid of all policing functions, may leave them open to theft & fraud.

JohnHartley
JohnHartley
4 years ago
Reply to  JohnHartley

Seeing what the USMC plans to scrap (MV-22, M1 tanks, artillery, F-35B & C) I did start to think there is a chance for the UK to buy some of this at perhaps a knockdown price.

Meirion X
Meirion X
4 years ago

Our rulers are Anti-Darwinists!

sjb1968
sjb1968
4 years ago
Reply to  Meirion X

You are lucky they are! ………………………….only kidding

Meirion X
Meirion X
4 years ago

It is politically correct to be a Darwinist these days!

John Clark
John Clark
4 years ago
Reply to  Meirion X

Strange days guys, everyone keep safe and ride out the storm….

Ulya
Ulya
4 years ago

Just want to wish you all the best during this time and hope you stay safe and well

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
4 years ago
Reply to  Ulya

Thank you Ulya. And you and your family.

maurice10
maurice10
4 years ago

The core government instruction is very clear, ‘STAY AT HOME.’ The media this morning is going ape about the lack of clarity, and jumping up and down, about what are basically peripheral issues and accusing Boris of a lack of leadership? But the message is clear to me and many others, do as instructed. Governments around the World have all had to create policy over the virus on the hoof, and some have been better at it than others, but it’s still a steep learning curve. So, apart from the hysterical British media, if we do as instructed it could… Read more »

Jonathan
Jonathan
4 years ago

Problem is governments have tried to manage panic with messages of its manageable etc. In my own personal view ( although a very well informed view). The Very first message should have been A punch in the face. With a we are at war type message. I’m not sure why they needed to wait for the Imperial College London modelling to realise that not doing very much would lead to many hundreds of thousands dead and be an National catastrophe worse that the Second World War is extraordinary measures were not taken…I will us capitals here: “IT WAS FUCKING OBVIOUS… Read more »

Julian
Julian
4 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan

I wonder whether a potential issue with your “very first message should have been a punch in the face” suggestion might be right there near the start of your post – “although a very well informed view”. Not everyone has such informed views. I am reminded with depressing regularity that, because I am a physicist and computer scientist with constant exposure to mathematical thinking for as long as I can remember, I have a fairly intuitive/immediate connection and understanding of concepts like exponential growth, percentages vs absolute numbers etc and that I tend to forget that there are a lot… Read more »

Jonathan
Jonathan
4 years ago
Reply to  Julian

Unfortunately you are right. The ability of most people to not see something that does not match their world view can be stunning. I have been telling my relatives in no uncertain terms what was heading our way.Even when I carefully explained the evidence, maths, how infectious diseases work and that they needed to prepare. I got back “what are you taking about it will be fine, the NHS will deal with it” It went over their heads that the person telling them he was in fear of what was coming was a healthcare professional with 25 years of experience… Read more »