New Covid19 restrictions for Leeds

The Editor -

The government has announced that Leeds will be placed under additional social contact restrictions, to help reduce the rising number of cases of COVID-19 and keep people safe. This is in addition to the national restrictions already in force, or due to come into force.

Leeds is to be named an ‘area of intervention’, with the latest seven day COVID-19 rate rising to 108 per 100,000 people.

The new local restrictions mean that from midnight on Friday 25 September:

  • You cannot meet or host people you do not live with in private homes or gardens unless they are in your support bubble. A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with another household.
  • You cannot visit someone else's home or garden even if they live outside of Leeds, unless they are in your support bubble.
  • People can only come inside your home or garden for specific purposes. These include where everyone in the gathering lives together or is in the same support bubble; to attend a birth at the mother’s request; to visit a person who is dying; to fulfil a legal obligation; for work purposes, or for the provision of voluntary or charitable services; for the purposes of education or training; for the purposes of childcare; to provide emergency assistance; to enable one or more persons in the gathering to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm; to facilitate a house move; to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person.
  • Existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children where the children do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents will remain exempt.
  • Friends and family can also still provide informal childcare for children aged 13 or under.

In addition to these restrictions, people in Leeds are also being advised by government:

Not to socialise with people you do not live with, unless they are in your support bubble, in any public venue either in Leeds or elsewhere. Examples of public venues include pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions and parks.

Not to visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances. Care homes should restrict visits to these circumstances.
To follow all relevant transport guidance when making a journey into, within or out of the areas affected, wear a face covering on public transport and try not to share a car with those outside your household or support bubble.
More information will be published on our website as soon as possible.

The police will be able to take action against those that break these rules, including asking people to disperse and issuing fixed penalty notices starting at £200 for those who participate in illegal gatherings.

Shielding advice continues to be paused, but people in the shielding group need to be extra cautious in following the new guidance to reduce the risk of infection.

These restrictions will be continually monitored and reviewed and additional measures could be brought in the coming weeks if required.

Playing your part in reducing the infection rates

Everyone has an important part to play in continuing to follow the guidance to prevent further cases and reduce the rising infection rate, and it is vital that people act responsibly – particularly if they think they may have the virus.

The important advice continues to be:

  • Keep a safe distance wherever you can
  • Wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
  • Cover your face in enclosed spaces
  • Isolate when you need to/are advised to – and draw on community support where needed.