Everything you can and can’t do under the new national lockdown rules in England

England is now back in a third national lockdown, and we’re set to be here until at least the middle of February.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Stay at home

As was the case in March in the first lockdown, residents of England must now stay at home. You can only leave for work if it is absolutely not possible to do your job from home, such as construction, manufacturing or critical care workers.

You can leave your house to shop for necessities once a day, and there’s also a limit on outdoor exercise to just once daily. 

You can meet with one person not in your household or with your support bubble outside, but social distancing should be maintained.

You cannot stay at another home other than your own, meaning holidays in the UK and abroad are no longer allowed, including at a second home or caravan.

Schools and Education

From today, Tuesday January 5th, all schools will be closed with learning carried out remotely, with the exception of children of key workers or those that are vulnerable.

You can leave your home to visit someone in your support bubble or to provide informal childcare to children under 14 as part of a childcare bubble. 

BTEC exams scheduled to take place over the next few days will go ahead as planned. Summer GCSEs and A-Levels are under review between the government, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and the Department for Education.

However, it is expected they will not take place this academic year, with Boris branding that ‘not possible or fair’.

Shops

All non-essential shops including retail, hospitality and personal care businesses must close. Restaurants can offer takeaway and delivery but are not permitted to serve alcohol.

A list of essential shops such as supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, banks and launderettes can remain open. 

Essential shops include:

• Supermarkets
• Pharmacies
• Banks
• Off-licences
• Builders’ merchants
• Garden centres
• Launderettes
• Car repair shops
• Car washes
• Bike shops
• Market stalls selling essentials

Non-essential shops include:

• Hairdressers
• Personal care salons, like tanning shops and tattoo parlours
• Entertainment venues like cinemas, skating rinks and bowling alleys
• Restaurants and other hospitality venues (except for delivery or takeaway)

Sports, leisure and worship

All other venues must close including outdoor gyms, zoos, golf and tennis clubs. Elite sports can continue, as can PE lessons and clubs for children. Playgrounds can also remain open. 

Places of worship can remain open for socially distanced services.

Weddings and Funerals

Events such as weddings, civil partnerships and funerals can take place with strict limits on attendance.

A maximum of 30 people can attend a funeral, and a maximum of six people can attend commemorative events such as ash scattering. People included in the service are not counted in the limits.

Weddings and civil partnerships can take place with six people in attendance and, according to government guidelines, only in exceptional circumstances such as if one partner is seriously ill. 

Visiting care homes

Visits to see relatives in care homes can only take place with ‘substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows’. Close-contact indoor visits cannot take place and visits cannot take place if there is a Covid outbreak in the home. 

International travel

Only essential journeys are permitted. Holidays abroad or in the UK or not allowed to take place. 

Moving house

People are permitted to move house but people outside of your household or support bubble should not help with moving unless absolutely necessary. Estate agents, letting agents and removal firms can continue to work and viewings are also still permitted. 

You can see the rules in full here.