Latest Updates

Well Teir 3 only lasted a day! The data for tier 4 happening during December from the 19th and what it means for residents. For details from the Government’s website please click here. There is also a Government page with the full rules about the different tiers and can be accessed here. Below we have tried to pull out some of the key information for residents.

To view the NHS digital map to see the number of covid cases within your area please click here.

Covid Christmas Rules – For guidance on the Christmas rules between the 23rd and 27th December please click here. Please note that for Rother and Hasting Christmas bubbles no longer apply.

Rother and Hastings move to Tier 4 

Government have announced that Rother and Hastings will move to Tier 4: Stay at home alert from midnight Saturday 19 December. Under Tier four you must:

  • you must stay at home 
  • non-essential shops must close
  • gyms, hair and beauty and other close contact services must close
  • you can only meet one other person outdoors (outside of your own household)
  • you must not travel to other tiers (with limited exceptions)
  • no travel abroad
  • no mixing of households at Christmas
  • support bubbles are still allowed
  • collective worship can continue 

Most businesses and venues will be expected to close except for essential shops. You can check which tier you are in and see what the restrictions are at GOV.UK.  

Childcare

There are several ways that parents and carers can continue to access childcare in Tier 4 areas. Guidance on support and childcare bubbles can be found here:

  • early years settings and childminders remain open, and you can continue to use these settings as normal
  • you can access other childcare activities (including wraparound care) where reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, seek work, attend education or training, a medical appointment or respite care
  • nannies will be able to continue to provide services, including in the home
  • parents are able to form a childcare bubble with one other household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under
  • some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubble

Some youth services are able to continue, such as 1-1 youth work and support groups, but most youth clubs and groups will need to cease for this period.

Visiting relatives in care homes

Visits to care homes can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows.

Close-contact indoor visits supported by testing, which are allowed in Tiers 1-3, will not be allowed in Tier 4. This guidance will be updated shortly clarifying how visits in Tier 4 should be conducted.

Weddings, Civil Partnerships and Funerals:

  • Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies should not take place except in exceptional circumstances, for example where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover (‘deathbed wedding’) or due to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery. These weddings are limited to 6 people.
  • Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. Linked religious, belief-based or commemorative events, such as stone settings and ash scatterings can also continue with up to 6 people in attendance. Anyone working is not counted in these limits. Social distancing should be maintained between people who do not live together or share a support bubble.
  • If you live in a Tier 4 area and are going to a wedding, funeral or linked commemorative event outside the Tier 4 area, the event must follow the Tier 4 gathering limits on the events.

Businesses and recreation facilities that can be open:

  • Hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha venues), pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed – they are permitted to continue sales by takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services. You can no longer eat in.
  • Retail premises may open, other than shops situated inside closed premises that cannot be accessed directly from the street – retail premises within accommodation may also stay open.
  • 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 can remain open.
  • Indoor entertainment and tourist venues must close. This includes:
    • indoor play centres and areas, including trampolining parks and soft play
    • casinos
    • bingo halls
    • bowling alleys
    • skating rinks
    • amusement arcades and adult gaming centres
    • laser quests and escape rooms
    • cinemas, theatres and concert halls
    • snooker halls
  • Indoor attractions at mostly outdoor entertainment venues must also close (indoor shops, through-ways and public toilets at such attractions can remain open). This includes indoor attractions within:
    • zoos, safari parks, and wildlife reserves
    • aquariums, visitor attractions at farms, and other animal attractions
    • model villages
    • museums, galleries and sculpture parks
    • botanical gardens, biomes or greenhouses
    • theme parks, circuses, fairgrounds and funfairs
    • visitor attractions at film studios, heritage sites such as castles and stately homes
    • landmarks including observation decks and viewing platforms
  • 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.
  • Community centres and halls, and libraries can remain open. Group events should not take place, unless there’s a specific legal exemption to the social contact rules e.g. support groups, supervised activities for children.

Accommodation

  • Accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and guest houses must close. There are several exemptions cited on the government website but includes remaining 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
  • They can also open:
    • To enable voting, including an overseas election.
    • As a women’s refuge or a vulnerable person’s refuge.
    • For any purpose requested by the Secretary of State, or a local authority.
    • Businesses that remain open in law, but are located within accommodation.

Sports:

  • I

Well Tier 3 only lasted a day! The data for tier 4 happening during December from the 19th and what it means for residents in Rother for full details from the Government’s website please click here. Below we have tried to pull out some of the key information for residents.

To view the NHS digital map to see the number of covid cases within your area please click here.

Covid Christmas Rules – For guidance on the Christmas rules between the 23rd and 27th December please click here. Please note that for Rother and Hasting Christmas bubbles no longer apply.

Rother and Hastings move to Tier 4 

Government have announced that Rother and Hastings will move to Tier 4: Stay at home alert from midnight Saturday 19 December. Under Tier four you must:

  • you must stay at home 
  • non-essential shops must close
  • gyms, hair and beauty and other close contact services must close
  • you can only meet one other person outdoors (outside of your own household)
  • you must not travel to other tiers (with limited exceptions)
  • no travel abroad
  • no mixing of households at Christmas
  • support bubbles are still allowed
  • collective worship can continue 

Businesses – Most businesses and venues will be expected to close except for essential shops. For a summary of what shops can remain open please click here for an article in The Independent.  For a full listing please click here for the Government’s website.

Travel and Transport

  • Journeys should be minimised as much as possible. You should still wear a face covering.
  • You may not travel out of your area or overseas (although exceptions apply, for example for work, education or caring responsibilities). 
  • There are a variety of ways however in which we can support our loved ones and communities through these restrictions.

Childcare – There are several ways that parents and carers can continue to access childcare in Tier 4 areas. Guidance on support and childcare bubbles can be found here:

  • early years settings and childminders remain open, and you can continue to use these settings as normal
  • you can access other childcare activities (including wraparound care) where reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, seek work, attend education or training, a medical appointment or respite care
  • nannies will be able to continue to provide services, including in the home
  • parents are able to form a childcare bubble with one other household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under
  • some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubble
  • Some youth services are able to continue, such as 1-1 youth work and support groups, but most youth clubs and groups will need to cease for this period.

Visiting relatives in care homes – Visits to care homes can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits supported by testing, which are allowed in Tiers 1-3, will not be allowed in Tier 4. This guidance will be updated shortly clarifying how visits in Tier 4 should be conducted.

Weddings, Civil Partnerships and Funerals:

  • Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies should not take place except in exceptional circumstances, for example where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover (‘deathbed wedding’) or due to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery. These weddings are limited to 6 people.
  • Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. Linked religious, belief-based or commemorative events, such as stone settings and ash scatterings can also continue with up to 6 people in attendance. Anyone working is not counted in these limits. Social distancing should be maintained between people who do not live together or share a support bubble.
  • If you live in a Tier 4 area and are going to a wedding, funeral or linked commemorative event outside the Tier 4 area, the event must follow the Tier 4 gathering limits on the events.

Sports:

  • Indoor gyms and sports facilities will close. Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges, riding centres and playgrounds can remain open for individual exercise, and for people to use with others within your household, support bubble, or with one person from another household. Organised outdoor sport for under 18s and disabled people will be allowed.

Keeping your loved ones safe
The most valuable thing we can all do is keep ourselves and our loved safe – physically and emotionally. 

Supporting your community
There are a variety of ways in which you can support your community depending on your individual situation. A few ideas are:

The NHS Volunteer Responders programme, set up by NHS England, is here to help people in England to stay safe during coronavirus. NHS Volunteer Responders have now completed more than a million tasks! Following an initial recruitment campaign for new volunteers in 70 local authority areas, they have now opened up recruitment across England. This is in response to the lockdown that began on 5 November and because demand for the volunteers’ support is continuing to rise. It will also help to meet NHS requests for additional direct support during this winter. At the same time, they are encouraging anyone who signed up as an NHS Volunteer Responder in March but had to step down due to other commitments, to re-join the programme and give as much time as they can.

As the programme evolves it will focus on direct support to the NHS with tasks such as the delivery of equipment to monitor vulnerable COVID-19 patients in their homes, and with stewarding people at vaccination clinics. They will also continue to support vulnerable people by delivering food and medication, and through Check In and Chat phone calls. They are not intending to replace any local volunteering activity. They aim to work collaboratively with volunteering leads in local areas.

Beware of scams and crimes
Criminals are using the COVID-19 pandemic to scam the public. To help you avoid becoming a victim, we have highlighted on our website the wide variety of COVID-19 scams and crimes which have arisen, key protection advice and guidance on how to report these scams.

Community response stories
For further inspiration on ways in which you can support your community, have a look at our Community Response Stories. If you have a story you would like to share, please submit it using this form.

Domestic abuse survivors
Are you or someone you know is a domestic abuse survivor, the information below may be very useful.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK, Central Support Team

Follow us..
Website:ourwatch.org.uk
Facebook:facebook.com/ourwatch
Twitter:twitter.com/N_watch
Instagram: neighbourhood.watch.insta
LinkedIn:linkedin.com/company/neighbourhood-watch/

Work Matters

Additional Matters

Travel and Transport

  • Journeys should be minimised as much as possible. You should still wear a face covering.
  • You may not travel out of your area or overseas (although exceptions apply, for example for work, education or caring responsibilities). 
  • There are a variety of ways however in which we can support our loved ones and communities through these restrictions.

Keeping your loved ones safe
The most valuable thing we can all do is keep ourselves and our loved safe – physically and emotionally. 

Supporting your community
There are a variety of ways in which you can support your community depending on your individual situation. A few ideas are:

The NHS Volunteer Responders programme, set up by NHS England, is here to help people in England to stay safe during coronavirus. NHS Volunteer Responders have now completed more than a million tasks! Following an initial recruitment campaign for new volunteers in 70 local authority areas, they have now opened up recruitment across England. This is in response to the lockdown that began on 5 November and because demand for the volunteers’ support is continuing to rise. It will also help to meet NHS requests for additional direct support during this winter. At the same time, they are encouraging anyone who signed up as an NHS Volunteer Responder in March but had to step down due to other commitments, to re-join the programme and give as much time as they can.

As the programme evolves it will focus on direct support to the NHS with tasks such as the delivery of equipment to monitor vulnerable COVID-19 patients in their homes, and with stewarding people at vaccination clinics. They will also continue to support vulnerable people by delivering food and medication, and through Check In and Chat phone calls. They are not intending to replace any local volunteering activity. They aim to work collaboratively with volunteering leads in local areas.

Beware of scams and crimes
Criminals are using the COVID-19 pandemic to scam the public. To help you avoid becoming a victim, we have highlighted on our website the wide variety of COVID-19 scams and crimes which have arisen, key protection advice and guidance on how to report these scams.

Community response stories
For further inspiration on ways in which you can support your community, have a look at our Community Response Stories. If you have a story you would like to share, please submit it using this form.

Domestic abuse survivors
Are you or someone you know is a domestic abuse survivor, the information below may be very useful.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK, Central Support Team

Follow us..
Website:ourwatch.org.uk
Facebook:facebook.com/ourwatch
Twitter:twitter.com/N_watch
Instagram: neighbourhood.watch.insta
LinkedIn:linkedin.com/company/neighbourhood-watch/

Work Matters

Additional Matters

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