Navigate Politics produces a weekly roundup of all the key announcements in the UK’s attempts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, from the four governments across the nation. If you’d like to sign up to our daily updates for free – please get in touch.
Weekly UK coronavirus statistics
The Department of Health and Social Care announced:
42,052,539 tests have been conducted (+ 2,170,638 in total from last Friday)
1,690,432 people have tested positive (+ 101,131 in total from last Friday)
60,617 people have died (+ 3,066 in total from last Friday)
See online here
Finally, some good news! UK’s regulator approves COVID-19 vaccine for use
The UK’s independent medicines regulator, the MHRA, has given its approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be used in the UK, after it carried out a ‘thorough review’. Dr June Raine, the Chief Executive of the MHRA, held a press conference to outline the process of approving the vaccine, and she was joined by Professor Munir Pirmohamed from the Commission on Human Medicines, and by Professor Wei Shen Lim of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). All three sought to emphasise the ‘rigorous review’ of the vaccine that had taken place, with Raine highlighting that “the safety of the public will always come first”, and insisting that, just because the UK was the first nation in the world to approve a vaccine, this “doesn’t mean that any corners have been cut”.
Pirmohamed said that his group had found there was an “overwhelming benefit” for the vaccine, and explained that any side effects resulting from the vaccine were “mild”. Wei Shen Lim outlined the recommendations that had been made as to who should receive the vaccine first (please see below), emphasising that “good vaccine uptake will save lives”.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock MP would address the House of Commons to deliver the news, labelling the announcement a “monumental step forward” and a “triumph for humanity”, detailing that the UK had ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine, which is enough for 20 million people to be vaccinated. Hancock announced that the first deployment of 800,000 doses of the vaccine could begin to be rolled out from the week commencing 7 December, and confirmed that the Government would follow the recommendations of the JCVI as closely as they could. He explained that the vaccine would be delivered in three ways over the coming months, starting with around 50 hospital hubs. Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth MP volunteered to be vaccinated live on TV with Hancock, in order to underline that there was a united, cross-party approach to supporting the vaccine, and to encourage uptake.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP would address a Downing Street press conference to relay to the public the news of the vaccine, and he was joined by Deputy Chief Medical Officer (and fan favourite) Jonathan Van-Tam, as well as Chief Executive of NHS England Simon Stevens. Johnson spoke of the “immense logistical challenges” to rolling out the vaccine, detailing that it needed to be stored at very cold temperatures, and that people needed two doses 3 weeks apart. He cautioned that it would be “some months” before all of the most vulnerable would be vaccinated, but reiterated that he hoped life would be “much closer to normal by the Spring”.
Jonathan Van-Tam praised the massive global effort that had been necessary for this stage to be reached, revealing that he was emotional when he had heard the medical professionals explain how they had arrived at their conclusions on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. He outlined the three key factors that would determine the success and speed of the rollout of the vaccine and vaccination programme – (1) a need for more authorised vaccines; (2) a need for an assured supply of the vaccine; and (3) a need for people to take the vaccine when offered it.
Simon Stevens explained the process of the distribution of the vaccine, stating that the initial tranche of vaccinations would be made this month, but that the “bulk mass” would take place between January – March/April 2021. He repeated that hospital hubs would begin offering the vaccine in the week beginning 7 December, to be followed in subsequent weeks by GP practices coming together to operate “local vaccination centres”, where GPs will be in touch with at-risk patients to offer them the vaccine. He outlined that the vaccine came in packs of 975 doses that needed to be kept together and stored at cold temperatures, meaning that it was logistically very difficult to distribute the vaccine to care homes until the MHRA gave their approval to a safe way of splitting the packs. He concluded that, when this approval came, it would also be possible to set up large vaccination centres across the country, so long as additional stocks of the vaccine became available. He concluded that it was a “phased programme”, and emphasised the NHS will contact people if they are ready to be offered the vaccine.
Source: BBC
See online here, here, here, here and here
England enters new, ‘tougher’ set of Tiered restrictions
MPs voted by 291 to 78 in favour of the new, tougher system of Tiered restrictions on 1 December, with the new measures coming into force at 0001 on Wednesday 2 December. Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP had opened the debate on the restrictions in the House of Commons, during which he confirmed that the regulations had a “sunset clause” of 2 February, and confirmed that the measures would be reviewed every 14 days, beginning on 16 December. The Labour Party were told to abstain on the vote, but 15 defied this and voted against the regulations. Many Conservative backbenchers had also voiced anger and criticism at the new Tiered approach, with 55 breaking the Conservative Whip and voting against, marking the largest rebellion of Boris Johnson MP’s Premiership.
As first announced by the Prime Minister on Monday, 23 November, the Government will embark on a ‘major community testing programme’ with local areas in Tier 3. The programme will see participating local authorities of Tier 3 areas supported by central Government to carry out six weeks of community testing to detect asymptomatic cases, estimated at a third of the total number of cases of coronavirus.
Community testing will make use of rapid Lateral Flow Tests which give results within an hour, and will focus on locating and suppressing asymptomatic transmission. The more cases identified and self-isolating, the quicker the control of virus transmission, which is essential to help areas move down a tier. Anyone who tests positive, using either a Lateral Flow Test or an existing swab test, must self-isolate along with their household immediately and their contacts will be traced. If successful, the community testing programme will be expanded into next year.
With the regulations in Tier 3 and Tier 2 both severely affecting the operations of the hospitality industry, either through shutting them down or through requiring drinks to be served with a ‘substantial meal’, a one-off £1,000 Christmas grant for ‘wet-led pubs’ has been announced, with this coming on top of the existing £3,000 monthly cash grants for businesses.
See online here, here, here and here
UK Government defend Lockdown, as it reduces R rate “back below one but only just”
On 30 November, Health Secretary Matt Hancock MP held a Downing Street press conference to update the public on the progress of curbing transmission of the virus through the lockdown restrictions. He cited a study published by Imperial College for showing that the national restrictions have brought down cases by a third, with the average number of positive tests at 14,778 over the past week, down from 25,331 on the 16th November. He highlighted that the “the R rate is back below one but only just”.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove MP penned an article for The Times, in which he defended the introduction of the England-wide lockdown that was introduced on 5 November, arguing that it was ‘the only way to stop the NHS being broken’. He criticised those who call for England to adopt a ‘Sweden-style approach’ , highlighting that Sweden had ‘always placed restrictions on its population’ during the course of the pandemic, and had ‘found that even the battery of measures it adopted was not enough’. He concluded that ‘we can see an end to this’, but that ‘until that liberation comes, we must stand firm’.
See online here, here and here
Education Secretary sets out further measures ahead of students sitting exams in 2021
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson MP announced extra measures to support students sitting exams and other assessments next year to ensure they are fair and account for the disruption caused by COVID-19. Building on the three-week delay to exams to free up additional teaching time, the new measures include: more generous grading than usual, in line with national outcomes from 2020; students to receive advance notice of some topic areas in GCSE, AS and A-Levels; exam aids to reduce the amount of information they need to memorise; additional exams to give students a second chance to sit a paper if they are missed due to illness or self-isolation; and a new expert group to look at differential learning and the impact of the disruption on students. Students taking vocational and technical qualifications will also see adaptations to ensure parity between general and vocational qualifications.
The Education Secretary also wrote to Ofqual’s Chief Regulator detailing the package of measures for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications in 2021. The letter stated that ‘holding a successful exams series in summer 2021 remains a vital component of our strategy to maintain continuity of education, support our young people to experience the best possible education during these difficult times, and to progress with good qualifications, fairly awarded’. In response, Chief Regulator Glenys Stacey wrote to confirm Ofqual’s decisions about how GCSE, AS and A level qualifications will be graded and expectations for vocational and technical qualifications in summer 2021. Stacey also noted that Ofqual will be looking beyond 2021 to consider the resilience of the system in the longer term.
See online here
Indoor care home visits allowed across England
Across England, in all three Tiers, indoor care home visits are now allowed, so long as the visitor tests negative for COVID-19 prior to the visit. This move has been taken following ‘a significant increase in testing capacity’, as well the use of ‘new testing technology’. Over 1 million tests are being sent out to care home providers over the next month, with this expected to be enough to allow up to ‘2 visitors per resident, visiting twice a week’. Visitors must still wear ‘appropriate PPE’, with 46 million items of free PPE being sent to CQC-registered are home providers. New guidance has also been published by the Department of Health and Social Care to allow and support some residents under 65 to spend time with their families at Christmas outside of care homes.
Actions taken to minimise Christmas travel disruption
The Department for Transport unveiled the measures the Government has taken to ‘minimise disruption and help people travel safely during the Christmas travel window between 23 and 27 December.’ 778 miles worth of roadworks have been cleared; rail upgrades had been postponed, with over 95% of the network to be unaffected by engineering works; and additional train and coach services have been put on. The Government is ‘also working closely with transport operators to establish priority areas for testing of workers, to maintain and maximise services.’ Chairman of Network Rail Sir Peter Hendy has been appointed as Christmas Travel Tsar, and will provide ‘rigorous scrutiny of the plans of all rail, road, coach, maritime and aviation operators’.
See online here
New funding to help ensure schools and colleges remain open during the COVID-19 outbreak
Schools and colleges facing the greatest combined staffing and funding pressures will be able to claim funding via a new short-term COVID-19 workforce fund to ensure that education settings can remain open during the COVID-19 crisis. The Government will continue to review the pressures schools and colleges are facing into the next term, as well as exploring how mass testing can play a greater role in keeping them open in the new year for all pupils to attend full time. The Department for Education has also published an updated contingency framework for all settings.
Ahead of 2021 examinations, the Social Mobility Commission has made a series of recommendations to support students from lower socio-economic groups which include: suspending school performances tables for 2021; working with schools and colleges to deliver a consistent system for collecting centres assessed grades; offering students the opportunity to take exams in Autumn 2021; and supporting schools with extra resources among other proposals.
See online here
Efforts made to support students returning to university after Christmas
In a bid to not repeat the scenes seen when universities welcomed students back after Summer, the Department for Education is asking students to ‘stagger their return’, and is publishing guidance to ‘set out how higher education providers should manage student returns over a five-week period’. In addition, all students are to be offered COVID-19 tests when they return to university, in order to identify and isolate those who are asymptomatic. All universities will be offered testing facilities to give students two lateral flow tests, three days apart, with results turned around within an hour to help control the spread of the virus.
Nadhim Zahawi MP appointed as Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment
Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi MP has been appointed as the Minister for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment to oversee the rollout of the vaccine in England, which is expected to begin before Christmas, subject to regulatory approval. Under the interim arrangement, Zahawi will serve as a joint Minister between the Health and Social Care Department and BEIS until at least next summer. Following his appointment, the Minister tweeted that he was ‘absolutely committed to making sure we can roll out vaccines quickly – saving lives and livelihoods and helping us #buildbackbetter’.
Free winter supply of vitamin D supplements for most vulnerable in England
The Department of Health and Social Care announced that more than 2.5 million vulnerable people across England will be offered free vitamin D supplements this winter. All care homes will automatically receive a provision for their residents, while individuals on the clinically extremely vulnerable list will receive a letter inviting them to opt in for a four-month supply to be delivered directly to their homes. Health Secretary Matt Hancock MP has also asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Public Health England to re-review the existing evidence on the link between COVID-19 and vitamin D in protecting people against the virus.
See online here
Deal struck to support lower-league Football, and fans back in stadiums
After months of discussion, debate and negotiations, the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) agreed a £250m rescue package to ‘help ease the financial challenge faced by EFL clubs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.’ The package comes in the form of a £200m loan for Championship clubs, and a £50m grant for clubs in League One and League Two. Chairman of the EFL Rick Parry said that it was a “welcome, tangible commitment to the professional game at a time when it has needed it most”.
The agreement came the same week that fans were allowed to watch competitive games in stadiums for the first time since March, with stadiums and sporting venues in Tier 1 areas allowed 4,000 fans, and those in Tier 2 allowed 2,000 fans. Twickenham will welcome 2,000 fans on 6 December to England’s Autumns Nations Cup Final against France.
Impact of COVID-19 on schooling set out in Ofsted’s Annual Report
Ofsted published its Annual Report for 2019-20, with this report highlighting the damaging impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on education, children’s social care, and the most vulnerable. The report found that ‘the low numbers of children who attended school during the first national lockdown, combined with disruption to community health services, directly affected the ability of local safeguarding partners to identify children and families in need of early help and protection.’ Ofsted’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman launched the report, and she spoke of how the pandemic had “shown how much is now expected of schools”, with schools acting as a “crucial part of the care system that protects the vulnerable, and they support children with a whole range of needs.”
COVID-19 added to Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme as a ‘precautionary step’
As a ‘precautionary step’, and in advance of the rollout of an authorised COVID-19 vaccine, the UK Government has added COVID-19 to the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme. In the press release, the Department of Health and Social Care sought to emphasise that ‘no safety concerns have been reported in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines authorised for use’, and that adding diseases to the scheme is ‘not new and numerous diseases have been added as successive governments have rolled out more immunisation programmes’. Adding COVID-19 to the scheme means that, in the event a person is severely disabled as a result of taking a COVID-19 vaccine, they are able to access financial insistence through the scheme.
See online here
UK Government secures additional two million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
The UK Government has signed a deal to secure a further two million doses of Moderna’s vaccine candidate, bringing the total to seven million doses for the UK. Trials of the vaccine reveal it to be almost 95% effective. To be used in the UK, the Moderna vaccine must meet the strict standards of safety and effectiveness of the independent medicines regulator, the MHRA. If it is approved, 7 million doses could start to be delivered to the UK as early as spring 2021 – the same timetable as other countries in Europe.
The latest agreement is part of the Government’s strategy to develop a diverse portfolio of promising vaccine candidates. The Government has now secured 357 million vaccine doses from 7 different developers.
See online here
Extended opening hours for English shops
Shops across England will be permitted to extend their daily opening hours from Monday – Saturday in the run-up to Christmas and throughout January, as Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick MP announced an easing of planning rules. Exact decisions on opening and closing times will be for shopkeepers themselves and will be at the discretion of local authorities, with it hoped that longer opening hours will ease pressures on public transport and make socially distanced shopping easier.
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Customers to receive refunds for holidays cancelled due to COVID-19
Lastminute.com has committed to pay out over £7m to customers who were waiting for their money back after their holidays were cancelled due to COVID-19. The commitment follows an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority, who had received ‘hundreds of complaints that people were not receiving refunds for package holidays cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.’ Over 9,000 customers are affected, with lastminute.com signing formals commitments to pay these refunds ‘as soon as possible’, and by 31 January 2021 at the latest.
See online here
£16m to provide ‘millions of meals’ for vulnerable people over Winter
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced a new £16m grant to pay for ‘millions of meals for the vulnerable over the winter period’. The grant will be delivered through the charity FareShare, who will distribute the funding to local charities, with it expected that at least 4,000 frontline charities, not-for-profit organisations and community groups will be involved in the programme.
See online here
COVID-19 positivity rates fall in all English regions except the North East
The latest results from the ONS study into COVID-19 infection rates has estimated that there were around 25,700 new coronavirus cases in the community population in England each day between 22-28 November. Positivity rates have fallen in all regions compared to the previous week, except the North East, with the highest rates being seen in the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Positivity rates have decreased amongst all age groups, with the highest rates remaining among secondary school-aged children. In addition, the ‘percentage of those testing positive is no longer decreasing in Wales’; positivity rates have continued to decrease in Northern Ireland; and ‘there are early signs the positivity rate in Scotland has started to decrease in the most recent week’.
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Latest NHS Test and Trace statistics released
The latest statistics from NHS Test and Trace have been released, covering the period between 19 – 25 November. During that week, 110,620 people tested positive for COVID-19, a decrease of 28% compared to the previous week. Of the 116,324 people who were referred to the contact tracing system during this time period, 84.9% were reached and asked to provide information about their contacts. 83.8% of the 246,604 people identified as close contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate. The Department of Health and Social Care announced that over 1 million people had now been reached by NHS Test and Trace, and that improvements to the service continued to be made.
No changes to Travel Corridors, but more people exempt from quarantine measures
The Department for Transport announced that no changes would be made to the travel corridors list, but that there will be a ‘limited number’ of additional professions where people will not be required to self-isolate when they arrive into England. From 4am on 5 December, individuals who are ‘undertaking specific business activity which would deliver a significant benefit to the UK economy – including activity that creates or preserves 50+ UK jobs’ will be exempt, as will ‘domestic and international performing arts professionals, TV production staff, journalists, and recently signed elite sportspersons’.
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Devolved Administrations welcome the vaccination programme due to start next week
Scotland’s Health Secretary Jeane Freeman MSP responded to the news that the MHRA had confirmed that the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech has been authorised for use in the UK, noting that it was the “best news that any of us have heard about the virus since the pandemic began”. Scotland expects deliveries to be made early week, with injections being given from 8 December and those giving the vaccination to others will receive the injection first. The programme will then follow the independent advice received from the JCVI, which recommends prioritising those with the greatest clinical need – including those aged over 80, and health and social care workers. Everyone being vaccinated will also need two vaccines, between 21 and 28 days apart.
The Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr. Frank Atherton echoed Scotland’s Health Secretary, stating that the roll-out across Wales will begin with a ‘matter of days’, with First Minister Mark Drakeford MS describing the news as a “small glimmer of light at the end of what has been a long and dark tunnel”. Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Robin Swann MLA also made a statement to mark the notable step, highlighting that Northern Ireland has plans and preparations in place to begin the roll-out. However, the Minister stated that “it needs to be remembered that the vaccination process will be a major and long-running logistical exercise. Our rate of progress will depend on available supplies that will be distributed as part of a UK-wide programme”.
See online here, here and here
Scottish Government provides cash boost to NHS staff and vulnerable families
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Monday a one-off £500 bonus to all NHS and social care workers employed since 17 March 2020, including staff who have had to shield or who have since retired. The investment of around £180 million in total will see over 300,000 staff gain some benefit from this bonus, ranging from nurses, porters, doctors, to homecare workers, care home staff, hospice staff and residential childcare staff.
On the same day, the Scottish Government unveiled the £100 million Winter Support Fund to help those on low income and those at risk of homelessness to pay for food, heating, warm clothing and shelter during the winter, recognising that COVID-19 has had a significant negative effect on Scotland’s economy, ‘hitting jobs and living standards hard’.
Financial support was also extended to parents on low incomes whose children are asked to self-isolate. The £500 Self-Isolation Support Grant aims to remove financial barriers for those doing the right thing and comply with public health regulations. The grant will also become available to those who may be eligible for Universal Credit but have not yet applied. Both of these changes will be introduced from 7 December.
See online here, here and here
Christmas eviction ban introduced, and Community Asymptomatic Test site opens in Scotland
The enforcement of evictions from rented properties will be paused in Scotland for a six-week period until 22 January as part of the Scottish Government’s plan to protect tenants during the crisis. The temporary measure also seeks to reduce the burden on local authorities, who have a duty to rehouse people made homeless through evictions, and will also make it easier for people to self-isolate if they choose to form extended bubbles during the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions over Christmas. However, the Housing Minister Kevin Stewart MSP assured that where there is evidence of serious anti-social or criminal behaviour, evictions can still proceed as normal.
The first Community Asymptomatic Test site has opened in Johnstone, Renfrewshire this week, allowing up to 12,000 residents without symptoms to be tested at the drop-in test site over the next eight days. Residents will be tested using lateral flow devices, which can give people their results in around 45 minutes. Any positive cases will then be confirmed by PCR test and 20,000 home testing kits are being deployed to test asymptomatic people who live in targeted communities across Glasgow, Renfrewshire, East and South Ayrshire and Clackmannanshire. The results of these trials aim to inform wider expansion of targeted community testing planned for early January.
Welsh Government announces £340m support for businesses along with new COVID-19 rules
First Minister Mark Drakeford MS announced that national COVID-19 restrictions will be amended on Friday 4 December at 6pm. This latest round of restrictions sees:
A 6pm curfew for pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes and a ban on alcohol sales. After 6pm, these businesses will still be allowed to operate a takeaway service.
Indoor entertainment venues, including cinemas, bingo halls, bowling alleys, soft play centres, casinos, skating rinks and amusement arcades, must close.
Indoor visitor attractions, such as museums, galleries and heritage sites will also have to close. Outdoor visitor attractions will remain open.
The rest of the national measures will remain the same – there will be no changes to household bubbles, how many people can meet in public indoor or outdoor places or restrictions on other businesses.
To help support businesses through this period, the Government will release a further £340m through the Economic Resilience Fund. The new funding is split into two funds: a £160m Restrictions Business Fund and a £180m sector-specific Economic Resilience Fund grant scheme. The Restrictions Business Fund will enable eligible businesses in the hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors access business grants of up to £5,000. Eligible SMEs could receive up to £100k, and larger Welsh-based businesses could receive up to a maximum of £150k.
Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford MS sets out latest travel restrictions
Wales’ COVID-19 regulations will be amended to prohibit travel to and from Tier three areas in England; Level three and four areas in Scotland and the whole of Northern Ireland, which is currently in lockdown. New travel guidance will be issued ‘strongly advising people in Wales not to travel to other parts of the UK with lower levels of coronavirus – Tier one and two areas in England or Level one and two areas in Scotland – to help control the spread of the virus’. The travel restrictions are likely to remain in place until at least January but will be kept under review. However, all travel restrictions within the UK will still be suspended between 23 and 27 December.
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Welsh Government increases use of COVID-19 testing
Routine lateral flow tests (LFTs) will be made available to test frontline health and social care workers in Wales twice weekly from 14 December to assist with outbreak control. Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething MS said the programme will begin with those working in services with high risks of transmission, and will introduce those in lower risk settings in January. The Welsh Government will also be introducing regular asymptomatic testing of staff working in hospice inpatient units and those delivering hospice at home services.
The Welsh Government announced that all residents living or working in Lower Cynon Valley will be offered a COVID-19 test, becoming the second area in Wales to introduce mass testing following Merthyr Tydfil. The pilot will begin on 5 December – 20 December to help uncover more positive cases and break the chains of transmission which will be delivered in partnership between the Welsh Government, UK Government, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board and the Ministry of Defence, with logistical support from the Armed Forces.
New £10m support scheme for newly self-employed launches in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Diane Dodds MLA announced the launch of a £10m Newly Self-Employed Support Scheme (NSESS) to support those who have not been able to access support from the UK Government’s Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. Newly self-employed individuals will be eligible for the one-off taxable grant of £3,500 if they commenced trading as self-employed between 6 April 2019 and 5 April 2020 and their business has been adversely impacted by the crisis. Trading profits for 2019-20 must also be below £50,000 and over 50% of their income must be from self-employment. The scheme will close to applications on 7 January 2021.
See online here
Table of UK COVID-19 Measures as of 4th DecemberRegionRestriction LevelImplementedCurrent End DateScotland (Level 0)Maximum of 8 people from 3 households can meet indoors. 15 people from 5 households can meet outdoors.2nd NovemberReviewed each weekScotland (Level 1)*Maximum of 6 people from 2 households can meet indoors in a public place. 8 from 3 households can meet outdoors; meeting in somebody’s home is prohibited; 10:30pm curfew for venues.2nd NovemberReviewed each weekScotland (Level 2)**Maximum of 6 people from 2 households can meet indoors in a public place and outdoors, but meeting in somebody’s home is prohibited; 10pm curfew for venues inside; 10:30pm curfew for venues outside; Alcohol only to be sold with the purchase of a main meal.2nd NovemberReviewed each weekScotland (Level 3)***Maximum of 6 people from 2 households can meet indoors in a public place and outdoors, but meeting in somebody’s home is prohibited; 6pm curfew for all venues; Only essential shops to be open; No non-essential travel outside local area.2nd NovemberReviewed each weekScotland (Level 4)****No household mixing indoors. Maximum of 6 people from 2 households can meet outdoors; No non-essential travel outside local area.20th November11th DecemberNorthern IrelandTwo-week circuit breaker lockdown. Closure of the hospitality sector; no household mixing indoors with the exception of bubbles; Stay at home except for essential purposes such as education, healthcare needs, to care for others, or outdoor exercise; Up to six people from two households can meet up outdoors in a private garden.27th November11th DecemberWales6pm curfew for hospitality sector, and no alcohol to be sold; Indoor entertainment, museums, galleries and heritage sites must close; Two-household bubbles can be formed; people can meet in groups of 4 in indoor places; 15 people can meet indoors for organised activities and 30 outdoors; travel allowed to Tiers 1 and 2 in England.4th December23rd DecemberEngland (Tier 1)^Rule of Six indoors and outdoors; 11pm curfew for hospitality, with last orders at 10pm; 4,000 people allowed at outdoor and indoor public events.2nd December16th DecemberEngland (Tier 2)^^No household mixing indoors; Rule of Six outdoors, including private gardens; hospitality venues can only serve alcohol with substantial meals; 2,000 people allowed at outdoor and indoor public events.2nd December16th DecemberEngland (Tier 3)^^^No household mixing indoors or in private gardens. Rule of Six in outdoor public spaces. Hospitality closed other than for takeaway; no people allowed at indoor or outdoor public events.2nd December16th December
*Full list of Scotland Level 1 areas: The Highlands; Moray; Na h-Eileanan an Iar; Orkney Islands; Shetland Islands.
**Ful list of Scotland Level 2 areas: Aberdeenshire; Aberdeen; Scottish Borders; Dumfries & Galloway; Argyll & Bute; East Lothian.
***Full list of Scotland Level 3 areas: Inverclyde; North Ayrshire; Falkirk; Clackmannanshire; City of Edinburgh; Midlothian; Dundee; Fife; Perth & Kinross; Angus; Midlothian.
****Full list of Scotland level 4 areas: Angus, City of Glasgow; Renfrewshire; East and West Dunbartonshire; North and South Lanarkshire; East and South Ayrshire; Stirling; and West Lothian.
^Full list of England Tier 1 areas: Isle of Wight; Isles of Scilly; Cornwall
^^Full list of England Tier 2 areas: East of England; Northamptonshire, Rutland in East Midlands; London; Cumbria, Liverpool City Region, Warrington and Cheshire in North West; South East (except for Slough, Kent and Medway, Isle of Wight); South West (except for Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire); Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Telford and Wrekin in West Midlands; City of York and North Yorkshire.
^^^Full list of England Tier 3 areas: East Midlands (except for Northamptonshire and Rutland); North East; Blackpool, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Blackburn with Darwen in North West; Slough, Kent and Medway in South East; Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire in South West; Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull in West Midlands; Yorkshire and the Humber (other than the City of York and North Yorkshire)
There are no areas of Scotland in Level 0