Melton borough placed under highest Tier 3 Covid restrictions

The new regulations come into force on Wednesday, as the second national lockdown ends, and will last at least until December 16, when the situation will be reviewed.

The government has made decisions partly based on local infection rates and how quickly they are rising or falling in particular areas of England.

Latest figures show Melton borough has a rate of 269 Covid cases per 100,000 of the population, although there were 66 fewer cases in the week to Saturday compared to the previous week.

The government’s explanation for why Leicestershire districts were placed into Tier 3 reads: “Improvements have been seen in overall case rates in all but one lower tier local authority, but remain very high at 355 per 100,000, including in over 60s at 250 per 100k.

“The pressure on the local NHS remains very high.”

The basic restrictions applying to Melton borough are:

Tier 3:

***No household mixing indoors or outdoors in hospitality venues or private gardens;

***‘Rule of six’ in outdoor public places;

***Pubs and restaurants must close except for deliveries and takeaways;

***Indoor entertainment must close;

***Advice on not to travel in or out of the area;

***Personal care professions such as hairdressing can continue.

The full list of regulations applicable to Melton borough residents from December 2 until at least December 16 are:

TIER 3: VERY HIGH ALERT

(This is for areas with a very high or very rapidly rising level of infections, where tighter restrictions are in place)

***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, this includes in any private garden or at most outdoor venues;

***you must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in some other outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, a public garden, grounds of a heritage site or castle, or a sports facility – this is called the ‘rule of 6’;

***hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha venues), pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed – 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. There are several exemptions, such as for those who use these venues as their main residence, and those requiring the venues where it is reasonably necessary for work or education and training;

***indoor entertainment and tourist venues must close. This includes:

indoor play centres and areas, including 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

snooker halls;

***indoor attractions at mostly outdoor entertainment venues must also close (indoor shops, through-ways and public toilets at such attractions can remain open). This includes indoor attractions within:

zoos, safari parks, and wildlife reserves

aquariums, visitor attractions at farms, and other animal attractions

model villages

museums, galleries and sculpture parks

botanical gardens, biomes or greenhouses

theme parks, circuses, fairgrounds and funfairs

visitor attractions at film studios, heritage sites such as castles and stately homes

landmarks including observation decks and viewing platforms

***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. Elite sport events may continue to take place without spectators;

***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 while you are there, unless a legal exemption applies;

***weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions are not allowed, 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies, 15 people can attend linked commemorative events;

***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. There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s;

***you can continue to travel to venues or amenities which are open, but should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible;

***avoid travelling to other parts of the UK, including for overnight stays other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. You can travel through other areas as part of a longer journey;

***for international travel see the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice for your destination and the travel corridors list.