Coronavirus - Official information and advice

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Latest official government advice 12 April 2021

From Monday 12 April, step two of the government's roadmap out of lockdown will see further restrictions start to lift. These changes are as follows:

Business and activities

Step two will see the opening of non-essential retail; personal care premises such as hairdressers and nail salons; and public buildings, including libraries and community centres. Indoor leisure facilities such as gyms will also reopen (but only for use by people on their own or in household groups); as will most outdoor attractions and settings including outdoor hospitality venues, zoos, theme parks, and drive-in cinemas. Self-contained accommodation such as campsites and holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, can also reopen.

Hospitality venues will be allowed to serve people outdoors at step two and there will be no need for customers to order a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks and no curfew, although customers must order, eat and drink while seated ('table service'). Wider social contact rules will apply in all these settings to prevent indoor mixing between different households.

Events

While funerals can continue with up to 30 mourners, the number of people able to attend weddings, receptions and commemorative events such as wakes will rise to 15.

Step one arrangements also remain in place:

Social contact

From 29 March, when most schools start to break up for the Easter holidays, outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either six people (the Rule of Six) or two households will also be allowed, making it easier for friends and families to meet outside.

Business and activities

Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, and open-air swimming pools, will also be allowed to reopen, and people will be able to take part in formally organised outdoor sports.

Travel

The 'stay at home' rule will end on 29 March but many restrictions will remain in place. People should continue to work from home where they can and minimise the number of journeys they make where possible, avoiding travel at the busiest times and routes. Travel abroad will continue to be prohibited, other than for a small number of permitted reasons. Holidays abroad will not be allowed, given it will remain important to manage the risk of imported variants and protect the vaccination programme. The government has launched a new taskforce to review global travel which will report on 12 April.

As restrictions are lifted, we'll keep you posted on what that means for you and any changes to the council services that we deliver. More information including guidance for staying safe is available. The GOV.UK website has full details of the roadmap.

Report a business breaching COVID-19 restrictions

If you are concerned that a Surrey business is not following Government regulations, you can report the issue using our online form.

Latest Surrey response to Coronavirus

Surrey News is the news hub for Surrey County Council it has all the latest news on Surrey's response to Coronavirus including information on the daily data dashboard visit Surrey News.

What is coronavirus?

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China. The 2019 novel coronavirus has been spreading since it was first reported in December 2019.

Symptoms include fever and respiratory symptoms including coughing and shortness of breath. Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.

More information on coronavirus including the latest NHS information, advice and guidance can be found on the NHS Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage.

NHS COVID19 App what it does

The new NHS COVID19 App launches on 24 September. For more information watch the NHS video or visit the NHS COVID 19 App webpages for further explanation.

Depending on your mobile device, visit the App Store or Google Play Store and search NHS COVID 19 app to download.

Official health information

There is lots of misinformation being shared about coronavirus, the following organisations are providing regular official information and updates both on their websites and via social media.

Other official guidance

Coronavirus testing

Please see our coronavirus testing page for details on how to book a test and information on NHS Test and Trace.

Education

  • The latest information on schools and how to apply for a place if you're a key worker is available on schools pages.

Funerals

  • Government have issued some guidance regarding funerals.
  • To ensure that organisations managing funerals are able to cope with the increased number of deaths, it is important that funerals are not delayed.
  • An information and advice leaflet for the bereaved in Surrey can be downloaded below.

Overseas Travel

From 4am on 18 January 2021, if you do not present proof of a negative coronavirus (COVID-19) test result, you may not be able to board to travel to England, and could be fined £500 on arrival into England.

If you are arriving in England before 4am on 18 January 2021, you are under no legal obligation to get a coronavirus test before you travel. You should not be denied boarding for failing to provide proof of a negative test result, and will not be fined on arrival into England. We still encourage you to get a test if possible.

Find out more about coronavirus testing for people travelling to England.

Visas

Resources

Files available to download