Coronavirus: What Tier 3 rules will mean for Dorset residents

Here’s what you can and can’t do under the rules.

What does Tier 3 mean?

Meeting family and friends

Meeting indoors:

You must not meet socially indoors with anybody you do not:

- live with

- have a support bubble with

(Unless a legal exemption applies.)

‘Indoors’ means any indoor setting, including:

- private homes

- other indoor venues such as pubs and restaurant

Meeting outdoors:

- You must not meet socially (in a private garden or at most outdoor public venues), with anybody you do not:

- live with

- have a support bubble with

(Unless a legal exemption applies.)

However, you can see friends and family you do not live with (or do not have a support bubble with) in some outdoor public places, in a group of up to six. This limit of six includes children of any age.

These outdoor public places include:

- parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests

- public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)

- allotments

- the grounds of a heritage site

- outdoor sports courts and facilities

- playgrounds

You can continue to meet in a group larger than six if you are all from the same household or support bubble, or another legal exemption applies.

Support and childcare bubbles

There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles across all tiers. Support bubbles have been expanded. From December 2 you can form a support bubble with another household if you:

- are the only adult in your household (any other members of the household having been under 18 on June 12, 2020), or are an under 18 year old living alone

- live with someone with a disability who requires continuous care and there is no other adult living in the household

- live with child under one, or who was under one on December 2, 2020

- live with a child under five, or who was under five on December 2, 2020, with a disability

Meeting in larger groups

There are exceptions where people can continue to gather indoors or in private gardens, or in groups larger than six, in outdoor public places including:

- as part of a single household or support bubble

- in a childcare bubble (for the purposes of childcare only)

- for work, or providing voluntary or charitable services, including in other people’s homes (read guidance on working safely in other people’s homes)

- for registered childcare, education or training – meaning education related to a formal curriculum or training that relates to work or obtaining work

- for supervised activities provided for children and those who were under 18 on 31 August 2020, including wraparound care (before and after-school childcare), children’s groups, activities for under-18s, and children’s playgroups

- for parent and toddler groups – up to a maximum of 15 people. Under-5s do not count towards this limit. These cannot take place in private dwellings

- for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians

- for birth partners

- to provide emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm

- to see someone who is dying

- to fulfil a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service

- for gatherings within criminal justice accommodation or immigration detention centres

- to provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable, or to provide respite for a carer

- for a wedding or equivalent ceremony where the organiser has carried out a risk assessment and taken all reasonable measures. Receptions are not permitted

- for funerals – up to a maximum of 30 people – and for commemorative events, such as wakes or stone settings – up to 15 people. These cannot take place in private dwellings except for members of the same household or support bubble.

- to visit someone at home who is dying, or to visit someone receiving treatment in a hospital, hospice or care home, or to accompany a family member or friend to a medical appointment

- for elite sportspeople (and their support teams if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) to compete and train

- for organised outdoor sport and physical activity and organised sports for disabled people

- to facilitate a house move

Someone covered by an exception (for example, someone who is working or volunteering, such as a tradesperson or wedding officiant), are not generally counted as part of the gatherings limit.

Hospitality

Hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha bars), pubs, cafes, restaurants, and social clubs must close except for takeaway, delivery and click and collect services. This includes restaurants and bars within hotels or members clubs. Exemptions apply for the following settings:

Cafes and canteens at:

- hospitals, care homes, or supported housing

- schools and providers of post-16 education and training

- higher education accommodation, and at higher education providers where there is no practical alternative for staff and students to obtain food

- criminal justice accommodation or immigration detention centres

- naval/military/air force or MoD facilities

- workplace canteens (where there is no practical alternative)

Businesses and venues selling alcohol for consumption off the premises can continue to do so as long as this is through takeaway, delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-through.

Businesses must not provide shared smoking equipment for use on the premises.

Accommodation

Accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, holiday lets and guest houses must close. These premises can only open for a person, who:

- is unable to return to their main residence

- uses it as their main residence

- needs it while moving house

- needs it to attend a funeral, linked commemorative event or following a bereavement of a close family member or friend

- is isolating themselves from others as required by law

- is an elite athlete (or their coach) and needs it for training or competition

- needs it for work purposes, or to provide voluntary or charitable service

- was staying there immediately before the area entered Tier 3

- needs it to attend education or training

- is a carer for someone they live with and is seeking respite

- needs to attend a medical appointment or treatment

Closed entertainment venues and visitor attractions

The following entertainment and tourist venues must close:

- indoor play centres and areas, including inflatable parks and soft play centres and areas (other than for people who have a disability)

- trampolining parks (other than for elite athletes, people with a disability, supervised activities for children and for formal education or training purposes)

- casinos

- bingo halls

- bowling alleys

- indoor skating rinks (other than for elite athletes, professional dancers and choreographers, people with a disability, supervised activities for children and for formal education or training purposes)

- amusement arcades and adult gaming centres

- nightclubs and adult entertainment venues

- laser quests and escape rooms

- cinemas, theatres concert halls – other than drive-in events, broadcasting performances, training or rehearsal

- circuses

- snooker and pool halls (other than for elite athletes)

Outdoor entertainment venues must also close any indoor attractions, such as museums, galleries and greenhouses.

Conference centres and exhibition halls are closed for the purposes of hosting conferences, exhibitions, trade shows, private dining events or banquets.

Venues which can remain open

The following outdoor venue can remain open:

- outdoor tourism and entertainment venues

- outdoor cinemas, theatres and concert venues, for drive-in only, but must close at 11pm

- outdoor events, such as funfairs, in line with Covid-secure guidance

- leisure and sports facilities, but group exercise classes (including fitness and dance) should not go ahead

- retail premises may open, other than shops that cannot be accessed directly from the street

- personal care and close contact services such as hairdressers and barbers, beauty salons, tattoo parlours, nail salons, spas and beauty services, saunas, steam rooms, massage parlours and tanning salons

- community centres and halls, and libraries, without group events except under legal exemptions, eg support groups, supervised activities for children

- recycling and waste centres, car parks, and public toilets may continue to stay open

Going to work

To help contain the virus, everyone who can work effectively from home should do so.

Where people cannot do so - including, but not limited to, people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing - they should continue to travel to their workplace.

Public sector employees working in essential services, including childcare or education, should continue to go into work.

Where it is necessary for you to work in other people’s homes - for example, for nannies, cleaners or tradespeople - you can do so.

Going to school, college and university

The government has prioritised ensuring all children and young people can attend school and college safely, to support their wellbeing and education and help working parents and guardians. All pupils should continue to attend school and colleges, unless required to self-isolate, when their school and college should provide them with high quality remote education.

Universities

Universities should follow guidance on reopening buildings to ensure they have safety measures in place to minimise the spread of the virus.

If you’re a student, you can meet in groups of more than your household as part of your formal education or training. Students should expect to follow the guidance and restrictions. You should socially distance from anyone you do not live with wherever possible.

Schools

In schools and colleges where year seven and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by adults (staff and visitors) and pupils when moving around indoors, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain.

A statement about returning to school after the Christmas holidays is due shortly.

Travel

Where possible, you should stay local and avoid travelling outside your local area, meaning your village or town, or part of a city. People should continue to travel for reasons such as work, education, medical attention or if they have caring responsibilities.

You can still travel to venues that are open, or for reasons such as work or education, but you should reduce the number of journeys you make wherever possible.

You should still avoid travelling outside your tier 3 area other than for the reasons such as those above.

Walk or cycle where you can and plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. Where that is not possible and you need to travel. Read safer travel guidance.

Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or your support bubble – read guidance on car sharing.

You must not travel if you are experiencing any coronavirus symptoms, are self-isolating as a result of coronavirus symptoms, are sharing a household or support bubble with somebody with symptoms, or have been told to self-isolate after being contacted by NHS Test and Trace.

Travelling into or out of a Tier 3 alert level area

Avoid travelling outside your area, including for overnight stays, other than where necessary, such as:

for work

for education

to access voluntary, charitable or youth services

because of caring responsibilities

for moving home

to visit your support bubble

for a medical appointment or treatment

Where necessary, you can travel through other areas as part of a longer journey.

If you live in a Tier 3 area, you must continue to follow Tier 3 rules when you travel to a Tier 1 or Tier 2 area. You must not stay with anyone you do not live with elsewhere in the UK or visit their home (unless you share a support bubble).

Overnight stays

If you are travelling, you should only do so alone or with members of your household or support bubble, and should follow the safer transport guidance.

If you live in a Tier 3 area, you should avoid staying overnight outside of your area other than where necessary, such as:

for work

for education

because of caring responsibilities

to visit your support bubble

for moving home

to access voluntary, charitable or youth services

for a medical appointment or treatment

If you live elsewhere, you should avoid staying overnight in a Tier 3 area other than for this type of reason.

This means you should not leave a Tier 3 alert level area to stay in a second home.

You must not stay with anyone you do not live with from a Tier 3 alert level area, or visit their home, unless you share a support bubble.

In a Tier 3 area, you should avoid travelling outside of your area. People should carefully consider whether they must travel abroad, and should follow the rules in their area.

Places of worship

You can attend places of worship for a service. However, you must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble.

You should follow the national guidance on the safe use of places of worship.

Sport and physical activity

In line with guidance from sporting national governing bodies, you can take part in organised sport and physical activity outdoors with any number of people. However, you should avoid contact in training and, for some sports, avoid contact in all activities. Read the guidance on what this means for your sport.

Gyms and sports facilities will be open for individual exercise and exercise in single households or support bubbles only. Indoor group activities and exercise classes should not take place.

You can continue to do unlimited exercise alone, or in an outdoor public place in groups up to six.

There are exceptions for the following, which can take place in any number:

disability sport

sports as part of the curriculum in education

supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s (including those who were under 18 on 31 August 2020)

Moving home

You can still move home.

Estate and letting agents and removals firms can continue to work. If you’re looking to move home, you can go to property viewings.