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Dear resident,
Today we are bringing you an update on Christmas bubble guidelines, advice on Christmas travel, and a reminder about changes to your bin collection days this week.
Changes to government guidelines on Christmas bubbles
Following the government announcement last weekend, Christmas bubbles will now only apply to Christmas Day (25th December). Before and after this date, you must continue to follow the Tier 3 guidelines and continue to take personal responsibility to limit the spread of the virus and protect your loved ones, particularly if they are vulnerable. This may mean that it isn’t possible to celebrate Christmas in the way you may have been planning to.
At the same time, over the festive period we encourage residents to look out for their neighbours who may be significantly impacted by the recent changes to Christmas bubbles, and offer support if people are running short of food and supplies during these difficult times. If you need help or support, more advice and information is available at www.leeds.gov.uk/coronavirus/people-and-communities.
Christmas bubble guidelines for the 25th December:
- Keep it small, keep it short and keep it local
You can form an exclusive ‘Christmas bubble’ composed of people from no more than three households on Christmas Day, but you are encouraged to meet with the fewest people possible and for the shortest amount of time possible
You should keep taking steps to reduce the spread of the virus, helping to ensure that the festive period is as safe as possible. This includes making sure indoor spaces get as much fresh air as possible, washing your hands regularly and for 20 seconds, and making sure you self-isolate and arrange to get a test if you develop symptoms.
 Update on Leeds infection rate
The latest figures for the 7 day infection rate is 142.9 per 100,000 and the positivity rate is 6.7%, a slight increase since last week. Thank you for everyone’s ongoing efforts to do what they can to keep our infection rates low. We urge everyone to remain vigilant, keep following the public health advice, isolate and get tested if you have symptoms and adhere to the government’s guidelines to keep yourself and others safe.
A brief overview of current Tier 3 guidelines are:
- 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 six 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’.
Full details are available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#very-high-alert
Travelling over Christmas
Please consider carefully the risks of travelling during this Christmas period. As we remain within the Tier 3 guidelines, you should avoid travelling to lower tier areas, though support bubbles remain unaffected as do the exemptions for separated parents and their children.
You should not travel into a Tier 4 area.
If you have to travel, book ahead to enable you and others to travel safely and plan your outward and return journeys carefully.
Transport routes may be busier than normal. If you do need to travel, you should:
- Plan ahead, check for disruption before you leave, and avoid the busiest routes, as well as busy times
- Avoid making unnecessary stops during your journey
- Avoid sharing a car with people not in your household or Christmas bubble
- Keep your distance from other people when you travel, where possible
- Wash and sanitise your hands regularly.
And finally... a reminder about Christmas bin collections
This year our refuse teams will be working extremely hard over the Christmas period, collecting more waste than usual as bins fill up quicker with more people staying at home to celebrate safely. This means it’s even more important to check your bin day.
As with previous years, bin days change for many over the festive period. A reminder to all that this year, everyone’s bin day is a day earlier during the week up to and including Christmas Day, and some will have their collections a day later during the days and/or week after Christmas.
You can easily and quickly check your bin day through the Leeds Council website or the Leeds Bin app on your mobile, which you can download in the Google Play store or the Apple app store.
You can put extra bags of recyclable waste by your green bin if it is full, and the 8 Household Waste and Recycling Centres across the city are open except on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day - please remember, you must book a slot to visit.
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