Coronavirus
National coronavirus restrictions come in to effect on Thursday 5 November.
Details of the new national restirictions can be found on the government website:
- New National Restrictions from 5 November – GOV.UK website
Until then Oldham remains in the Very High Tier of local restrictions.
Full details of these rules can be found on the government website:
- Local COVID alert level: very high – GOV.UK website
Meeting with other people
You must not meet socially with friends and family indoors in any setting unless they are part of your household or support or childcare bubble.
You may continue to see friends and family you do not live with in groups of 6 or less in certain outdoor public spaces, such as:
- parks, beaches, countryside, forests
- public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them), allotments
- outdoor sports courts and facilities, and playgrounds
You must not meet with people outside of your household or support bubble in a private garden or in most outdoor public venues.
- Meeting family and friends – GOV.UK website
Work
You should work from home where possible.
- Going to work – GOV.UK website
Business
Businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-secure manner, other than those that remain closed in law.
- Business and venues – GOV.UK website
Leisure and hospitality
Pubs and bars must close. They can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal
Businesses selling food or drink on their premises are required to close between 10pm and 5am.
This will include takeaways but delivery, drive through and click and collect services can continue after 10pm.
- Business and venues – GOV.UK website
Face coverings/masks
Members of staff and the public must now wear face coverings in enclosed public spaces.
If you do not, you could face a £200 fine.
Weddings, civil partnerships, religious services and funerals
You can attend places of worship for a service, however, you must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support or childcare bubble.
Wedding and civil partnership ceremonies must only take place in COVID-secure venues or in public outdoor spaces they are restricted to a maximum of 15 people and receptions are not allowed.
Funerals must only take place in COVID-secure venues or in public outdoor spaces with a maximum of 30 people in attendance. Wakes or linked ceremonial events before or after the funeral are limited to a maximum of 15 people and must not take place in private homes.
- Weddings, civil partnerships, religious services and funerals – GOV.UK website
Travel
If you need to travel we encourage you to walk or cycle where possible, or to plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport.
You are advised not to travel into or out of an area if it has been categorised as a very high alert level area, as Greater Manchester has. This is part of wider measures to help manage the risk of transmission.
You can continue to travel into or out of very high alert level areas if you need to for work, education, to access youth services or because of caring responsibilities.
- Travel – GOV.UK website
Shielding residents
We are advising any residents who have recently shielded to continue taking extra care now that the shielding process has formally ended in Oldham.
NHS Covid-19 app
The new NHS COVID-19 app, now available to download for free, is the fastest way to see if you’re at risk from coronavirus.