Well, at the time of publishing, it passed 00:01 on Thursday, 5th November. Whilst for some, this normally would be Guy Fawkes night, it marks the entry of England going into Lockdown.
Well. Here we go again people – Map via OpenStreetMap – https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=7/52.433/-1.110
Yesterday, Parliament backed the legislation for a lockdown to last until 2nd December 2020, lasting approximately four weeks.
As well as the closure of non-essential shops, personal care venues, pubs and gyms, travel is affected, with restaurants and pup having to do takeaway.
The exact statement from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says:
From 5 November to 2 December 2020, travelling away from home, including internationally, is restricted from England except in limited circumstances such as for work or for education. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You must follow all the rules that apply to you.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides guidance on COVID and non-COVID risks overseas. The FCDO currently advises against all but essential travel to many countries and territories on the basis of COVID risks. You should check the travel advice for your destination.
In addition, the restrictions from the UK.GOV Site state
If you live in England, you cannot travel overseas or within the UK, unless for work, education or other legally permitted reasons, and you should look to reduce the number of journeys you make. However you can and should still travel for a number of reasons, including:
- travelling to work where this cannot be done from home
- travelling to education and for caring responsibilities
- to visit those in your support bubble – or your childcare bubble for childcare
- hospital, GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health
- to buy goods or services from premises that are open, including essential retail
- to spend time or exercise outdoors – this should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space)
- attending the care and exercise of a pet, or veterinary services
If you need to use public transport – to travel to work for example – you should follow the safer travel guidance. This includes the rules on wearing face coverings and advice on car sharing.
For those planning to travel into England, you should check the current travel corridor list to see whether you need to isolate for 14 days. You will still be required to abide by the restrictions set out here even if you do not need to isolate. If you do need to travel overseas from England before 2 December (and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work), even if you are returning to a place you’ve visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice.
UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, you should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning.
Overnight stays and holidays away from primary residences will not be allowed- including holidays in the UK and abroad. This includes staying in a second home or caravan, if you own one, or staying with anyone you do not live with or are in a support bubble with.
What if have something booked?
You will need to contact your operator/hotel/airline. Each will have its own reaction and will need to be handled as such. Some choice links:
- British Airways https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/incident/coronavirus/latest-information
- Virgin Atlantic – https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/news.html
- EasyJet – https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/preparing-to-fly/latest-travel-information
- Ryanair – https://www.ryanair.com/ie/en/travel-updates/articles/europe-s-covid-19-travel-documentation—public-health-restricti
- TUI – https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/travel-with-confidence
There will be a lot of other people trying to work out where they stand, so do a little digging first, then contact the airline/hotel/operator to find out where you stand.
Other Advice
Some useful links if you think you need to travel for essential purposes only.
- BBC News – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54768693
- ITV News – https://www.itv.com/news/2020-11-01/englands-covid-lockdown-can-i-still-go-on-holiday-and-what-should-i-do-if-ive-booked-a-trip
- Evening Standard – https://www.standard.co.uk/news/lockdown-can-you-still-go-on-holiday-b36905.html
- Independent – https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/international-travel-ban-uk-four-week-lockdown-b1482052.html
Settle in
Whilst Lockdown 2.0/Lockdown2 now in progress, there’s a lot of hunkering down to be done – as well as kicking the Government to assist the industries affected by the action they’ve taken.
But for now, settle in. Things will be a bit quieter out there, but there will be a lot of normal life going on (such as school being open)
Hopefully, it will only be four weeks – as the England lockdown should naturally lapse on the 2nd of December.
Normally, you don’t read this far – but I’ve restricted comments on this post, due to the overhead in managing comments on a subject like this. For those who normally enjoy ripping into my grammar or commentary, you’ll have to sit this one out. For everyone else, there’s plenty of other space for commentary in the world.
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