Please see the most recent COVID-19 bulletin below.
CONTENTS
Formal tiering review update
From the beginning of Thursday 31 December 2020, the Midlands, North East, parts of the North West and parts of the South West are among those escalated to Tier 4, with almost all remaining areas escalated to Tier 3.
For the full list of local authority areas moving to Tiers 3 and 4 and for more information, please click here. The full list of local restriction tiers by area is available here. You can check to see what tier your local area is in by clicking here.
Tier 4: Stay at Home
Guidance has been updated to explain what you can and cannot do in areas with a very rapidly rising level of infections, where tighter restrictions are in place. Updates include: updates to clarify ‘Work and volunteering’; under 'Travelling to a Tier 4 area from a Tier 1, 2 or 3 area', added a legally permitted reason to travel: 'to provide emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm (such as domestic abuse)' and 'Where necessary, you can travel through a tier 3 and tier 4 areas as a part of a longer journey'. For more information, click here.
Support for business
Coronavirus (COVID‑19) support is available to employers and the self-employed, including sole traders and limited company directors. You may be eligible for loans, tax relief and cash grants, whether your business is open or closed.
Find out what coronavirus financial support is available for your business here. A full list of financial support measures for businesses during coronavirus is available here.
Coronavirus Local Restrictions Support Grant (for closed businesses): The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG (Closed)) supports businesses that have been required to close due to temporary local restrictions. Businesses that were open as usual and were then required to close due to local Tier 2 or Tier 3 restrictions may be eligible for LRSG (Closed). All Tier 4 businesses required to close will be eligible for grants of up to £1,500 for each 14-day period of closure. Grants will be administered by local authorities. For more information, click here.
Updated guidance
Closing certain businesses and venues in England: Guidance has been updated concerning business and venue closures in England. This guidance sets out restrictions on certain businesses and venues in England under the different local COVID alert levels and includes rules about business closures in England in tier 4. For more information, click here
Enabling safe and effective volunteering during coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance has been updated to reflect the addition of tier 4 regulations to assist organisations and groups to understand how to safely and effectively involve volunteers during the pandemic. Click here for more information.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): letters to the construction sector, November and December 2020: Further correspondence from the Secretary of State for Business, Alok Sharma, to those working in the construction sector and its supply chain. For more information, click here.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): letters to the manufacturing sector, November and December 2020: Further correspondence from the Secretary of State for Business, Alok Sharma, to those working in the manufacturing sector and its supply chain. For more information, click here
Coronavirus (COVID-19): HGV operators and drivers crossing an international border: Guidance for operators, drivers and crew of HGVs on crossing an international border safely has been updated to include translations into Bulgarian, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Welsh. For more information, click here.
