RESIDENTS are urged to continue adhering to the rules when Tameside enters the Tier 3 Covid alert level following Lockdown.
The Government has placed Tameside into Tier 3: Very High alert, for when the National Lockdown ends at midnight on December 1.
Guidance has also been issued on forming a Christmas bubble between three households, so families across Tameside can get together over the holiday period while still limiting the spread of the virus.
With Coronavirus rates coming down in the borough, ‘cautious optimism’ and ‘concern’ are both at the forefront as we approach the holiday period and the need to continue to protect ourselves and each other by preventing a rise in cases.
The current national restriction rules remain in place until midnight on December 1 and must be followed until then, when the Tier 3 rules come into place.
Tier 3 regulations include:
- You must not meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble, including private gardens.
- You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches, countryside, public gardens, heritage sites or sports facilities.
- Hospitality settings, such as bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants will close – they are permitted to continue sales by takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services.
- Accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and guest houses must close, unless using as a main residence or necessary for work or education and training.
- Indoor entertainment and tourist venues must close, including indoor play centres, trampolining parks and soft play, casinos, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, amusement arcades and adult gaming centres, laser quests and escape rooms, cinemas, theatres and concert halls and snooker halls.
- Leisure and sports facilities may continue to stay open, but group exercise classes (including fitness and dance) should not go ahead. Saunas and steam rooms should close.
- There should be no public attendance at spectator sport or indoor performances and large business events should not be taking place.
- Large outdoor events (performances and shows) should not take place, with the exception of drive-in events.
- Places of worship remain open, but you must not attend with or socialise with anyone outside of your household or support bubble.
- Weddings can go ahead with 15 people attending and funerals with 30 people attending.
- Organised outdoor sport, and physical activity and exercise classes can continue, however higher-risk contact activity should not take place
- Organised indoor sport, physical activity and exercise classes cannot take place indoors.
- Avoid travelling to other parts of the UK, including for overnight stays other than where necessary, such as for work, education, medical treatment, or caring responsibilities.
Businesses that will be allowed to open include: essential and non-essential retail; personal care and close contact services such as hairdressers and barbers, beauty salons, tattoo parlours, nail salons, spas and beauty services, massage parlours and tanning salons; public buildings, such as libraries, community centres and halls; allotments and recycling and waste centres.
Everyone who can work from home should do so. All businesses and venues that are open are expected to follow Covid-19 secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and workers.
Christmas bubble guidance includes that between December 23 and 27:
- You can form an exclusive ‘Christmas bubble’ composed of people from no more than three households
- You can only be in one Christmas bubble
- You cannot change your Christmas bubble
- You can travel between tiers and UK nations for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble
- You can only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces
- You cannot meet someone in a private dwelling who is not part of your household or Christmas bubble
Tameside Council Executive Leader Councillor Brenda Warrington said: “It’s fantastic to see the Coronavirus rates coming down in Tameside and I’d like to thank all our communities for playing their part in this. I must stress though that rates are still high and it’s vital that residents continue to follow the rules and take the precautions needed to ensure all their hard work is not wasted. The Tier system has been strengthened compared to the previous system in order to prevent a return to growing infections. We know that social contact spreads the virus and so with the holiday period approaching I’d urge everyone to stick to the rules to protect each other.
“Christmas is an important time for families to get together and I’m sure the introduction of the Christmas bubble will be a welcome reprieve for all families from all faiths across Tameside. Tameside have been following tighter restriction for a longer period than most and I know seeing some family members will go a long way in supporting loneliness and isolation. I must urge people to act sensibly during this period though and take precautions to ensure they stay safe while enjoying time together. Please stick to the specific bubble guidelines, ensure regular handwashing and let fresh air into indoor spaces”
Support bubbles have also been expanded. From December 2 you can form a support bubble with another household if any of the following apply to you:
- you are the only adult in your household (any other members of the household having been under 18 on 12 June 2020) or are the only adult who does not have a disability that needs continuous care
- you have a child under 1
- you live with a child under 5 with a disability that needs continuous care
Tier 3 guidance can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know.
Christmas bubble guidance can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Greater Manchester’s infection rate is reducing faster than any other part of the country but we have to accept that it is still significantly higher than the England average. That said, if the current rate of improvement continues, we will be asking the Government to move our city-region into Tier 2 in two week’s time.
“What we believe is completely wrong is the Government’s decision to provide no additional business support to areas in Tier 3 than those in Tiers 1 and 2.
“The new Tier 3 will hit the hospitality sector extremely hard. While there are grants for businesses forced to close, there is no extra support for business which supply them like security, catering and cleaning.
“This will cause real hardship for people whose jobs will be affected and risk the loss of many businesses.
“Ministers need to explain how they believe it is fair for Tier 3 areas to get no more support than those in Tier 2. They also need to explain why places with high numbers of hospitality businesses – like city centres – get the same population-based grant as more suburban and rural areas with fewer businesses affected.
“The effect of these policy decision will be to level down the economies of city-regions across the North. It is unfair and the opposite of what the Government has promised to do. Ministers must review this and provide more financial support to Tier 3 areas.”