Lancashire will remain in Tier 3 until at least Boxing Day, but if infection rates continue to rise, it's possible the county could be plunged into Tier 4 in the New Year.

If that happens, and that remains a big IF, things will change drastically - shops and gyms will close and there will be severe limits on the number of people you can interact with.

Here is a re-cap of the rules and restrictions should Lancashire or East Lancashire be placed in the highest alert category:

The main message from the Government will be: Stay at home

People living in Tier 4 you must not leave or be outside of their homes or gardens except where they have a ‘reasonable excuse’.

A reasonable excuse includes:

  • Work and volunteering
  • Essential activities like buying groceries, getting medicine or collecting a take-away, but you should stay local
  • Fulfilling legal obligations such as buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum.
  • Education and childcare - you can leave home for education related to the formal curriculum or training, registered childcare, under-18 sport and physical activity, and supervised activities for children that are necessary to allow parents/carers to work, seek work, or undertake education or training. 
  • Meeting others and care - you can leave home to visit people in your support bubble, or to provide informal childcare for children aged 13 and under as part of a childcare bubble, to provide care for vulnerable people, to provide emergency assistance, attend a support group (of up to 15 people), or for respite care where that care is being provided to a vulnerable person or a person with a disability, or is a short break in respect of a looked after child.
  • Exercise and recreation - people can also partake in unlimited exercise outdoors or visit some public outdoor places, such as parks, the countryside accessible to the public, public gardens or outdoor sports facilities - with your household, support bubble, or with one other person if you maintain social distancing. 
  • Medical reasons, harm and compassionate visits
  • Communal worship and life events, such as funerals or wedding ceremonies, however, weddings, funerals and religious, belief-based or commemorative events linked to someone’s death are all subject to limits on the numbers that can attend.

Travelling within a Tier 4 area

If you live in a Tier 4 area, you must not leave your home unless you have a reasonable excuse (e.g. for work or education purposes).

If you need to travel you should stay local - meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live - and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall. 

Travelling to a Tier 4 area from a Tier 1, 2 or 3 area

You should not travel into a Tier 4 area from another part of the UK, other than for reasons such as mentioned above. 

International travel to or from a Tier 4 area

If you live in a Tier 4 area, you can only travel internationally - or within the UK - where you first have a legally permitted reason to leave home. In addition, you should consider the public health advice in the country you are visiting.

If you live outside a Tier 4 area you may still transit into or through a Tier 4 area to travel abroad if you need to, but you should carefully consider whether you need to do so. In addition, you should follow the public health advice in the country you’re visiting.

Staying away from home overnight

You cannot leave your home or the place where you are living for holidays or overnight stays unless you have a reasonable excuse for doing so.

This means that holidays in the UK and abroad are not allowed.

There are exceptions, the full list of which can be viewed on the Government's website

Businesses and venues which can remain open

Only some businesses and venues are permitted to stay open, following Covid-19 secure guidelines. This includes those providing essential goods and services, including:

  • essential retail such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences
  • market stalls selling essential retail may also stay open
  • businesses providing repair services may also stay open, where they primarily offer repair services
  • petrol stations, automatic (but not manual) car washes, vehicle repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses
  • banks, building societies, post offices, short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses
  • funeral directors
  • laundrettes and dry cleaners
  • medical and dental services
  • vets and pet shops
  • animal rescue centres, boarding facilities, and animal groomers (may continue to be used for animal welfare, rather than aesthetic purposes)
  • agricultural supplies shops
  • mobility and disability support shops
  • storage and distribution facilities
  • car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas
  • outdoor playgrounds
  • outdoor gym, pools, sports courts and facilities
  • golf courses
  • archery/driving/shooting ranges (outdoors)
  • outdoor riding centres
  • places of worship
  • crematoriums and burial grounds

All other businesses must close, including hospitality venues which cannot provide a take-away or delivery service, indoor gyms and leisure facilities, hotels and other accommodation, hair and beauty salons.

A full list is available on the Government's website. 

Schools

The Government has confirmed that all secondary schools and colleges in England will be offered help, support and facilities to implement an additional round of free coronavirus testing from the first week of January.

This will be alongside a staggered return to face-to-face education in secondary schools, starting with exam years, vulnerable children and children of critical workers.

For full details please visit the Government's website using the links above.