Coronavirus Update
On Monday 8 March, some of the rules on what people in England can and cannot do will be changing.
It is vital that people in Staffordshire demonstrate caution as the first easing of lockdown rules come into place.
National lockdown is still in place across England and people must stay at home unless it is for a permitted reason, such as:
- Shopping for essential items for you or a vulnerable person
- Going to work - but only if you cannot work from home
- Seeking medical assistance or to avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
- Attending education or childcare
- Meeting your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary
What rules are changing?
From Monday 8 March, the following will change:
- care homes will be able to allow regular indoor visits for a single named visitor
- in addition to outdoor exercise, you will be allowed to spend time in outdoor public spaces for recreation on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. You must always socially distance from those outside your household
- pupils and students in all schools and Further Education settings will be able to return to face-to-face education
- wraparound childcare can reopen and other children’s activities can restart for all children where it is needed to enable parents to work, attend education, seek medical care or attend a support group
- students on practical Higher Education courses at English universities who have not already returned and would be unable to complete their courses if they did not return will be able to return
All other current restrictions will still apply.
Home testing for households of schoolchildren
As part of the return of all pupils to school from 8 March, the government is introducing wider home testing of eligible people with no symptoms, including: school staff and secondary school pupils, and members of their household, childcare and support bubbles who do not have symptoms of coronavirus.
Anyone aged 18 or over can collect two testing packs which contain seven tests each from the government's national testing sites.
'Roadmap' out of lockdown.
You can find out more about how the government intends to gradually lift restrictions in the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’ document which sets out the roadmap out of the current lockdown for England.
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