New tougher restrictions come into force in Lancashire (with the exception of Blackpool) this Tuesday as the government tries to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens
Hospitality for food & drink will be restricted to table service only & late night operating hours will be restricted.
Leisure and entertainment venues including restaurants, pubs, and cinemas, required to close between 10pm & 5am.
Only use public transport for essential purposes (e.g. travelling to school or work)
Avoid attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that the restrictions will be in place from Tuesday and are in place across Lancashire excluding Blackpool.
This means the new restrictions are over and above the Government’s ‘Rule of 6’, which was brought in across the country last week.
People will still be able to go to work, school, college or university as usual.
An update on shielding is below.
You can see the latest figures here: https://www.blackburn.gov.uk/coronavirus/local-covid-19-data
Denise Park, Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:
These further restrictions introduced by the Government are a serious step in trying to get control of this situation and I can’t urge people strongly enough to follow them.
We know people are becoming fed up and often confused with the current situation, especially with new restrictions being introduced regularly, but we can’t become complacent now as we are at a crucial point in this pandemic.
We need to carry on working together and following all guidelines and rules to make sure we stop our infection numbers rising even more. We must all do our bit to protect everyone in our community and especially our most vulnerable residents.
The Council will continue to lobby the government for more support for all our businesses and industries, especially hospitality venues, which have suffered throughout the pandemic.
As part of our efforts to bring our numbers down, we are carrying out inspections of premises to make sure they are as safe as possible.”
Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:
I know how hard this situation has been for people over the last six months, and sometimes it can feel like there is no end to the changes we have all had to make. I understand that many people are becoming tired of this.
The fact is though that this virus is still with us, it is still spreading and is still affecting people and work still needs to be done to beat it. We are not out of the woods yet and these new restrictions have been brought in to help everyone, even if it may not feel like that.
We need to follow these new rules and carry on doing what we can to keep ourselves and others safe, including washing your hands regularly, wearing a face covering when necessary, including in shops and on public transport; and keeping two metres away from people.”
Referring to residents currently shielding, Dr Pervez Muzzafar, GP in Darwen and clinical lead for Darwen PCN, said:
Clinically extremely vulnerable people are at high risk of suffering severe illness if they contract Coronavirus. I would strongly recommend that anyone in this category should follow the guidance and shield until September 21 as planned. Those living in the protected eight zones are asked to shield until October 5th. We know this is so hard on everyone who are missing seeing their family, friends and loved ones but please continue to follow the guidance and saves lives.”
More updates as we get them.
