In this hot list, sponsored by Gloucestershire County Council, SoGlos shares five rules you might not realise you’re breaking – and helpful advice on how to stick to them and keep safe.
England is in a national lockdown by law from Wednesday 6 January 2021.
1. Travelling to Gloucestershire from a different tier area
Anyone living in a Tier 4 area should stay at home unless they have a legal reason to leave – such as providing care to a vulnerable person, to attend work or school where they cannot do so from home, or for medical attention.
Gloucestershire was placed under Tier 4 restrictions from Thursday 31 December 2020, so residents should stay at home and avoid travelling unless absolutely necessary. People living in Tier 1, 2 or 3 areas should not travel into a Tier 4 area without a legally permitted reason.
2. Going to a restaurant or pub
Under Tier 4 restrictions, Gloucestershire restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes are only allowed to operate as takeaways – no food or drinks can be consumed on the premises. Residents can still enjoy meals and drinks from their favourite venues at home with their household or support bubble.
3. Not maintaining social distancing when outdoors
Social distancing is one of the best ways to stop Coronavirus from spreading, so people should still maintain social distancing even when outdoors, wear a face mask when social distancing is difficult and regularly wash their hands for 20 seconds or more.
Under Tier 4 restrictions, people should not meet socially indoors or outdoors with anybody outside of their household or support bubble. People can exercise outdoors with one other person that they do not live with in some outdoor public places – such as parks, beaches, forests and playgrounds, but they should maintain social distancing at all times.
4. Meeting up in groups of more than six
Under Tier 4 restrictions, people should not meet socially with anyone outside of their household or support bubble. While there are some exceptions to this rule, the police can take action against illegal gatherings.
If you’re caught socialising with more than six people, police can issue a fine of £200 for the first offence, which doubles for any further offences up to a maximum of £6,400. If you’re involved in hosting an illegal gathering of over 30 people, you can be fined up to £10,000.
5. Failing to self-isolate because you aren’t showing any symptoms
Coronavirus can still be passed on, even without showing any signs or symptoms of the illness – this is called asymptomatic transmission. As well as social distancing, wearing a face mask and washing your hands regularly, it’s vital that anyone who has been told to self-isolate does so for as long as instructed, even if they don’t have any symptoms, to help prevent the spread of Covid and keep Gloucestershire safe.
