COVID- 19: ALL YOUR KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED...

With winter fast approaching, it is now more important than ever for us all to carry on following COVID- 19 precautions to help stop the spread of the virus by always observing the three- tier local restrictions and remembering three key words – Hands, Face, Space. Please continue to wash your hands, cover your face and make space between yourself and others to control infection rates.

Here, the UK Government answers your ten most asked questions …

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mandatory for businesses in the hospitality sector, leisure and tourism sectors, close contact services and community centres and village halls to ask customers for their contact details to support NHS Test and Trace. However, it is only in hospitality sectors where refusal to provide this will necessitate the business refusing entry or service. This does not apply to services where products are taken offsite immediately, for example if food and drink is taken away. If a business offers a mixture of sit- in and takeaway services, contact information should only be collected for customers who are dining in.

My son is in university campus accommodation with seven others who share a living room, kitchen and bathrooms but have their A own bedrooms. Is this OK? Your son and his friends likely constitute a household, so they can continue to gather together, but would not be able to socialise with another person as a household. Q My grandmother needs a carer. How can she ensure she is not going to catch COVID- 19 if she hires My children are A one? starting to come home Guidance has from school with been developed in snuffles and sore throats, collaboration with care but not fevers or coughs. Do I provider representative groups need to get them tested every for those delivering home care, time they complain of feeling

A to ensure that appropriate “coldy”? levels of hygiene are achieved You should get your to reduce the risk of infection. child tested if they You should speak to your care develop one of the provider about the processes they are following to maintain good hygiene. Q I went to a wellknown coffee shop chain last week and was not asked to fill out my NHS Test and Trace information. Why not? Are there different rules for different kinds A of establishments? The UK Government has introduced a new law to make it

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three main symptoms of small groups in restaurants, COVID- 19: a high temperature, either indoors or outdoors, as a new continuous cough and/ long as the number doesn’t or a loss or change to their exceed six. If you live in a sense of smell or taste High or a Very High risk area you can meet in groups of up to six people outdoors, in Q

I am a pensioner some settings, and only one and am feeling household indoors. very lonely. A Single households or social group I was support bubbles of more than previously part of has six are still able to gather started meeting for together. dinners etc. in small groups in restaurants.

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Would I be safe to join Can my local gym put A them? on a yoga class for more If you live in a than six people? And Medium risk area you can I continue to play in my are allowed to join netball team?

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I assume that since I am back at work with 15 people, I can have those people back to my house, to socialise in the garden, as long as we keep the same distance we would in the A office. Is that right?

No, meeting with work colleagues outside of work is not COVID- 19 secure and there is an increased transmission risk.

If my neighbours are having a gathering that is clearly of more than six people, what do I do? A

Should I call the police?

The UK Government is in discussions about what official reporting mechanisms there might be, but people are encouraged to call the non- emergency police number ( 101) to report any breaches of COVID- 19 measures. You should only use the emergency number ( 999) if there is an immediate threat to life.

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Can I book two tables of six in a restaurant so we can talk to each other but not gather at each A other’s tables?

No. Talking across two tables of six would involve forming a larger gathering or mingling, which would be against the law. Indoor sport can only take place if the general Am I allowed to have gathering rules in five friends back to my that area are complied with. flat for a drink after the

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In a High or Very High risk pubs close at 10pm? areas, individual households Those within local or bubbles can participate COVID alert level in indoor sport but must not Medium may continue mix with other households to meet up to five other or bubbles. Disabled indoor people so long as you ensure sport and supervised sports social distancing and other for children are exempt from mitigations such as increased these restrictions. Outdoor ventilation and good hygiene sports can continue to take practices like regular hand place with more than six washing. People in High people if they are organised by and Very High risk areas a company or other recognised cannot meet people from body, and where this body outside their own household undertakes the relevant inside but could sit in the precautions. garden.

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