Travel industry is on its knees AGAIN after new lockdown: TUI cancels ALL holidays until mid-February as airline chiefs say things will 'only get WORSE' - while minsters are set to demand UK arrivals test negative before travelling

Britain's beleaguered airlines have been dealt another crippling blow after Boris Johnson once again banned holidays under the new national lockdown. 

Overseas travel will now only be allowed for a handful of 'legally permitted' reasons such as work, putting paid to scores of vacations that have already been booked.

TUI confirmed this morning it has cancelled all holidays until mid-February, while British Airways and easyJet said they were also reviewing their scheduled flights.

It means cash-strapped airlines trying to make up losses accrued during nine months of restrictions are forced to dole out refunds to dismayed passengers.

Industry bosses this morning warned the lockdown would further devastate the hard-hit sector, which has seen sales nosedive and mass lay-offs. 

EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou told MailOnline the situation 'will only get worse.'

He added: 'The problem for airlines can be seen from the announcement just made by Ryanair that they were only using one in five of their planes in December 2020.'  

Coronavirus's damage to the nation's airlines was laid bare this morning when Ryanair announced year-on-year passenger numbers were down 83 per cent last month. 

Following last night's announcement, the Government stressed that Britons currently abroad do not need to rush back to the UK.

But ministers are drawing up plans to require a negative Covid-19 test for all UK arrivals to curb the spread of the disease. 

Scroll down for the full government lockdown guidelines 

The Government has banned holidays as part of the latest coronavirus restrictions which will also see international arrivals asked to present a negative Covid-19 test to enter the country

On another day of coronavirus chaos:

How coronavirus crushed UK airlines and travel operators 

Flybe: Europe's largest regional airline collapsed on March 5 after months on the brink, triggering 2,400 job losses and left around 15,000 passengers stranded across the UK and Europe. 

British Airways: The boss of BA owner IAG demanded ministers set up airport testing after the group swung to a £5.6bn loss. The company, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, lost the equivalent of £900,000 an hour during the first nine months of 2020. 

Jet2: Reported operating losses of £111.2m for the six months to September 30, against earnings of £361.5m a year earlier.

Virgin Atlantic: In September Virgin Atlantic said it could axe a further 1,150 jobs from across the company taking the total number of job losses to 4,700 during the crisis. It also urged the Government to offer carriers emergency credit facilities worth up to £7.5billion.

Ryanair: Reported a loss of 197m euro (£178m) in the first half of 2020, with 99 per cent of it's fleet grounded for almost four months. Traffic in the first half of the year fell from 86million to 17million passengers compared with the same period last year, and revenue dropped 78 per cent to 1.18billion euros (£1.06billion).

TUI: Posted a bottom-line net loss of 1.42 billion euros (£1.3 billion) in the period from April to June.

Easyjet: Crisis saw it crash to an annual loss of £1.27billion - the first in its 25-year history - but the prospect of a vaccine has led to a spike in sales over the past fortnight.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove today told Good Morning Britain that a decision is to be announced on whether the UK will demand a negative Covid test from those entering the country.

He said: 'We will be making announcements later today and in the days ahead about how we will make sure that our ports and airports are safe.

'It is already the case that there are significant restrictions on people coming into this country and of course we're stressing that nobody should be travelling abroad.

'But I don't want to pre-empt the specific advice that is going to be given.'

Mr Gove said he is in discussions with the devolved UK administrations about the terms of the announcement affecting international visitors. 

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'Protecting public health in the UK is of the utmost importance and we are looking at what additional measures could be taken with regards to international travel.'  

Currently, travellers arriving into the UK must complete a locator form with their contact details and may have to self-isolate if they have arrived from a country which is not included on the travel corridor list. 

Under the latest national lockdown rules, which is now in effect, holidays are banned as international travel is only permitted for a strict number of reasons such as for work.

People with holidays took to social media to complain of their trips being cancelled.

One wrote sarcastically: 'Another lockdown another holiday cancelled. Amazing.'

Another said: 'Holiday for Valentine's Day has been cancelled. Cheers Boris.' 

Lauren Robb, 22, from Litchfield, told MailOnline she received an email last night informing her trip to Barcelona for March 7 had been cancelled due to one of the flights being scrapped. 

She said it was 'disappointing' as it was to celebrate her 23rd birthday and was the first overseas holiday with her boyfriend. 

UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, they are urged to check with their airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning.

Following the announcement of lockdown and the holiday ban, airlines started reviewing their flights. 

British Airways said: 'We are reviewing our flight schedule​ following the announcement of new national lockdown restrictions.

'Our focus is on keeping crucial air links open - transporting vital goods and ensuring people who are permitted to travel can continue to do so safely. ​

'As always, if a customer's flight is cancelled we offer a range of options including a full refund.​' 

EasyJet said: 'Following the Government's announcement, easyJet is reviewing its flying programme with the view to maintaining essential connectivity between key cities in the UK alongside a small number of international routes.

'We are contacting customers whose flights are cancelled with their options and all customers unable to travel as a result of the lockdown restrictions, whether their flights are cancelled or scheduled to operate, can transfer their flights to a later date for free, receive a voucher or a refund.' 

TUI said: 'As a result of the latest national lockdown measures announced on 4 January 2021 all TUI holidays will be cancelled in line with international travel restrictions. 

'Customers due to travel from an English airport before mid-February will be contacted in departure date order to discuss their options, which will include amending to another holiday with an incentive, receiving an ATOL-protected refund credit note with incentive, or cancelling and receiving a full refund. 

'All holidays from Scotland and Wales have been cancelled until 31 January. We will constantly review holiday cancellations in line with updated travel advice.

'Customers currently overseas can continue to enjoy their holidays as planned and we will update them directly if there are any changes to their holidays.' 

Within the UK, domestic holidays are also banned as you must stay at home at all times except for a limited number of 'reasonable excuses' such as shopping for essentials or work.

The Government has said 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. 

Two days before Christmas, Britain banned all arrivals from South Africa, as well as travel to the nation, after discovering two cases of the mutant Covid-19 strain which is driving a massive second wave among young people in the country.

However, it is understood those arriving indirectly from the country did not have to prove they had tested negative before entering the UK.

Neil O'Brien, Conservative MP for Harborough, tweeted measures needed to 'toughen up' at the border after one user drew comparisons to stricter rules in South Korea.

Senior aviation sources told the Times the Government was due to revisit the rules surrounding international arrival and that the new strain had prompted 'a hastening in the introduction of measures' that have yet to be officially announced. 

But the travel association Abta warned that the measures would do little to help the industry.  

Heathrow pulls shutters down on Terminal 4 as passenger numbers plummet  

Heathrow's Terminal 4 will remain closed throughout this year as demand for air travel struggles to recover.

The west London airport made the announcement at the end of 2020 as it said passenger numbers for November were down 88per cent compared with the same month last year.

At the end of October, Heathrow lost its status as Europe's busiest airport as it recorded a loss of £1.5billion in the first nine months of the year due to Covid-19.

Passenger numbers between July and September were down by more than 84 per cent compared with the same period in 2019, leading the west London hub to be overtaken by Paris Charles de Gaulle as the busiest in Europe. 

Just 747,000 people travelled through the airport on November.

Terminals 3 and 4 have been closed since April and May respectively, with all flights operating from Terminals 2 and 5.

The airport urged the Government to introduce full business rates relief for all UK airports and abandon its plan to scrap tax-free shopping for international visitors from January 1. 

An ABTA spokesperson said: 'It's right, of course, that the Government takes steps to control the spread of the virus. 

'But this needs to come with the right measures to support travel businesses which have little or no means of operating. 

'For ten months now, many travel businesses have been unable to generate income – putting jobs and businesses at risk – and the latest Government measures mean this is unlikely to change soon. 

'Yet, unlike other sectors such as hospitality, there hasn't been any tailored financial support from the UK Government to get travel businesses through the crisis. 

'Other countries, including France and Italy, have established targeted schemes in recognition of the unique challenges facing travel. 

'Similar recognition and support is long overdue from Westminster, and we urge Ministers to address this gap urgently.' 

Airlines UK is pushing for pre-departure testing and urging the government to provide better financial support for the sector. 

A spokesman said: 'It's vital that any lockdown is accompanied by measures to support our aviation sector, through grants and further liquidity measures such as APD relief, together with an acceleration of the roll-out of pre-departure testing and the vaccine.

'If we cannot re-open travel the future of UK aviation will be bleak indeed but we're hopeful Government will step in and recognise its importance and contribution to UK plc, so we can continue delivering for passengers.'

Airlines UK Chief Executive Tim Alderslade told MailOnline: 'In terms of the pre-departure testing requirement for people travelling to the UK, this is something we've been calling for anyway, as we see it as a means of passengers not having to quarantine when they arrive in the UK, or not having to quarantine for as long. 

'Obviously, it looks as though even if you're travelling from a travel corridor country you will have to take a test before departure. 

'We don't dispute the need for this, given where the numbers are with the pandemic currently.'

Flight data today shows commercial jets coming in and out of the UK. According to newly released data, commercial flights ended 2020 down 41.7% from 2019

The guidelines: Travel is forbidden under national lockdown 3.0 

Travel

You must not leave your home unless you have a reasonable excuse (for example, 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. The list of reasons you can leave your home and area include, but are not limited to:

If you need to travel, walk or cycle where possible, and plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. This will allow you to practice social distancing while you travel.

Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or your support bubble. See the guidance on car sharing.

If you need to use public transport, you should follow the safer travel guidance.

International travel

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 do need to travel overseas (and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work), even if you are returning to a place you've visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice.

UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, you should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning.

Foreign nationals are subject to the 'Stay at Home' regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted. This means you must not go on holiday.

If you are visiting the UK, you may return home. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your destination.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the public to announce the latest national lockdown in a bid to combat a new strain of coronavirus which is reportedly 70 per cent more infectious

PCR vs Lateral flow testing

The UK favours lateral flow tests tests which are not lab based and give a result within 15 minutes.

These rapid coronavirus tests are ones that can be done on the spot using portable equipment.

They are faster and cheaper than lab-based PCR tests, which the government uses to diagnose people, but are less accurate. 

In a lateral flow test a swab is used to get a sample from the person's nose or throat and it is then processed in a small machine that tries to detect the coronavirus by mixing the sample with something the virus would react with.

If there is a reaction in the mixture it suggests that the person is carrying coronavirus. If not, they get a negative result. This process can be completed in as little as 15 minutes.

You take your own swab though a professional on site processes it through the machine.  

However, as the swabs are taken by people themselves, the accuracy of the test could be hampered as they may not push the swab deep enough to get enough of a sample.   

These lateral flow tests differ from the gold standard PCR test - known scientifically as polymerase chain reaction testing. 

PCR tests also use a swab but this is then processed using high-tech laboratory equipment to analyse the genetic sequence of the sample to see if any of it matches the genes of coronavirus.

This is a much more long-winded and expensive process, involving multiple types of trained staff, and the analysis process can take hours, with the whole process from swab to someone receiving their result taking days.

It is significantly more accurate, however. In ideal conditions the tests are almost 100 per cent accurate at spotting the virus, although this may be more like 70 per cent in the real world.

This compares to a much lower sensitivity in lateral flow tests, with a trial of one type used in Liverpool suggesting they miss around 50 per cent of the people who would test positive with PCR.

Extreme accuracy may be a drawback for PCR now that so many people have been infected, however, with the tests able to detect shreds of the virus in people who recovered weeks ago and are no longer infectious, which may lead them to have to self-isolate unnecessarily.

Lateral flow tests are more likely to miss people who are carrying the virus but, experts say, do have value as a way of weeding out people carrying large amounts of the virus and therefore most likely to be spreading the disease.

A PCR test can cost upwards of £180 per person, with the swab needing to be processed in a lab. 

Michael Gove today delivered a stark warning that lockdown will only start to be lifted gradually in March - and that timeline depends on the government meeting its highly ambitious targets for vaccination.

The Cabinet Office minister admitted there was no 'certainty' that the brutal squeeze imposed by Boris Johnson on England last night will be eased at the end of February as hoped.

The PM set a goal of giving first doses of vaccine to more than 13million vulnerable people over the next seven weeks, with doubts already voiced over whether it is possible.

But Mr Gove cautioned that even in the best case scenario not 'all' of the curbs will go, as he braced the weary public for a long haul to combat the fast-spreading new variant of coronavirus.

In a round of interviews, Mr Gove said a review of the situation would happen in the February half-term.

'We hope we will be able to progressively lift restrictions after that but what I can't do is predict – nobody can predict – with accuracy exactly what we will be able to relax and when,' he told Sky News.

'What we do know is that the more effective our vaccination programme, the more people who are protected in that way, the easier it will be to lift these restrictions.'

The heavy caveats came after the PM made another extraordinary U-turn by plunging the country into a March-style lockdown, saying the NHS risked being overrun within weeks if he failed to act.

Just a day after he urged parents to send their children back, Mr Johnson declared in a sombre address from No10 that primary and secondary schools will be shut from today, with only the vulnerable and offspring of key workers allowed to go in.

Nurseries can stay open. But university students are being told to stay at home and study remotely, while GCSE and A-level exams will not go ahead as planned.

Teenagers might not know for weeks how their exams will be replaced, with Ofsted expected to launch a consultation, although government sources said some 'contingency' plans had already been considered.

Under the the new guidance, published overnight, non-essential retail, all hospitality, gyms and swimming pools will be ordered to close - with Rishi Sunak due to lay out another package of support today amid growing fears about the impact on the economy.

Cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeaway - but in a tightening from the draconian measures last spring, they will not be allowed to serve any alcohol. Vulnerable people are being told to shield where possible.

The public will once again only be allowed to leave home for one of five reasons: to go to work if essential, shop for necessities, exercise - allowed with one other person from another household, care for someone, or to seek medical help.

Communal worship can continue with social distancing in place.

Those who break the rules face a £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.

The extraordinary third national squeeze will come into effect in the early hours of Wednesday after the regulations are laid today, but Mr Johnson urged the public to adopt the new rules now. 

MPs will get a vote on them on Wednesday when Parliament is recalled, although there is no prospect of them being defeated.

A government spokesman declined to comment on the latest travel restrictions. 

Commercial flights dropped by 41.7% as pandemic took hold

Commercial flights were down by some 41.7% overall in 2020, according to newly released travel data. 

Flights plunged to a low in mid-April and made a moderate recovery once the lockdown was lifted and international travel was given the green light in mid-August. 

By the start of the Autumn, the pace slowed once again, according to data from Flightradar24.  

While December traffic was buoyed by travellers looking to escape the UK for the festive season, it still dropped by some 36.5% from 2019. 

Commercial traffic grew 9.2% in December over November (compared to 3.4% growth in the same period in 2019). 

Commercial flights ended 2020 down 41.7% from 2019, while total flights finished the year 27% below 2019 levels

What you can and cannot do during the national lockdown: The government guidelines in full

You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

You should follow this guidance immediately. The law will be updated to reflect these new rules.

Leaving home

You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:

Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open.

Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses.

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work

Meeting others

You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).

You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble.

You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household.

Detailed guidance on the national lockdown

Who this guidance is for

This guidance is for people who are fit and well. There is additional advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus and households with a possible or confirmed coronavirus infection. If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should not attend work, school, college or university, and limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential.

Hands. Face. Space.

Approximately 1 in 3 people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising it.

Remember - 'Hands. Face. Space.'

In all circumstances, you should follow the guidance on meeting others safely.

When you can leave home

You must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a 'reasonable excuse'. This will be put in law. The police can take action against you if you leave home without a 'reasonable excuse', and issue you with a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice).

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.

A 'reasonable excuse' includes:

There are further reasonable excuses. For example, you may leave home to fulfil legal obligations or to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum.

Exercising and meeting other people

You should minimise time spent outside your home.

It is against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble. You can only leave your home to exercise, and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting). This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

You can exercise in a public outdoor place:

Outdoor sports venues, including tennis courts, golf courses and swimming pools, must close.

When around other people, stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household - meaning the people you live with - or your support bubble. Where this is not possible, stay 1 metre apart with extra precautions (e.g. wearing a face covering).

You must wear a face covering in many indoor settings, such as shops or places of worship where these remain open, and on public transport, unless you are exempt. This is the law. Read guidance on face coverings.

Support and childcare bubbles

You have to meet certain eligibility rules to form a support or childcare bubble. This means not everyone will be able to form a bubble.

A support bubble is a support network which links two households. You can form a support bubble with another household of any size only if you meet the eligibility rules.

It is against the law to form a support bubble if you do not follow these rules.

You are permitted to leave your home to visit your support bubble (and to stay overnight with them). However, if you form a support bubble, it is best if this is with a household who live locally. This will help prevent the virus spreading from an area where more people are infected.

If you live in a household with anyone aged under 14, you can form a childcare bubble. This allows friends or family from one other household to provide informal childcare.

You must not meet socially with your childcare bubble, and must avoid seeing members of your childcare and support bubbles at the same time.

There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles.

Where and when you can meet in larger groups

There are still circumstances in which you are allowed to meet others from outside your household, childcare or support bubble in larger groups, but this should not be for socialising and only for permitted purposes. A full list of these circumstances will be included in the regulations, and includes:

Support groups that have to be delivered in person can continue with up to 15 participants where formally organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support - but they must take place at a premises other than a private home.

Where a group includes someone covered by an exception (for example, someone who is working or volunteering), they are not generally counted as part of the gatherings limit. This means, for example, a tradesperson can go into a household without breaching the limit, if they are there for work, and the officiant at a wedding would not count towards the limit.

If you break the rules

The police can take action against you if you meet in larger groups. This includes breaking up illegal gatherings and issuing fines (fixed penalty notices).

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400. If you hold, or are involved in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of £10,000.

Protecting people more at risk from coronavirus

If you are clinically vulnerable, you could be at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus. There is additional advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable should not attend work, school, college or university, and limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential.

Travel

You must not leave your home unless you have a reasonable excuse (for example, 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. The list of reasons you can leave your home and area include, but are not limited to:

If you need to travel, walk or cycle where possible, and plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. This will allow you to practice social distancing while you travel.

Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or your support bubble. See the guidance on car sharing.

If you need to use public transport, you should follow the safer travel guidance.

International travel

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 do need to travel overseas (and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work), even if you are returning to a place you've visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice.

UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, you should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning.

Foreign nationals are subject to the 'Stay at Home' regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted. This means you must not go on holiday.

If you are visiting the UK, you may return home. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your destination.

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.

This includes staying in a second home or caravan, if that is not your primary residence. This also includes staying with anyone who you don't live with unless they're in your support bubble.

You are allowed to stay overnight away from your home if you:

If you are already on holiday, you should return to your home as soon as practical.

Guest accommodation providers such as hotels, B&Bs and caravan parks may remain open for the specific reasons set out in law, including where guests are unable to return to their main residence, use that guest accommodation as their main residence, need accommodation while moving house, are self-isolating as required by law, or would otherwise be made homeless as a result of the accommodation closing. A full list of reasons can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England.

Accommodation providers are also encouraged to work cooperatively with local authorities to provide accommodation to vulnerable groups, including the homeless.

Going to work

You may only leave your home for work if you cannot reasonably work from home.

Where people cannot work from home - including, but not limited to, people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing - they should continue to travel to their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting sectors and employers.

Public sector employees working in essential services, including childcare or education, should continue to go into work.

Where it is necessary for you to work in other people's homes - for example, for nannies, cleaners or tradespeople - you can do so. Otherwise, you should avoid meeting for work in a private home or garden, where COVID-19 Secure measures may not be in place.

Employers and employees should discuss their working arrangements, and employers should take every possible step to facilitate their employees working from home, including providing suitable IT and equipment to enable remote working.

The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if COVID-19 secure guidelines are followed closely. Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk.

Going to school, college and university

Colleges, primary (reception onwards) and secondary schools will remain open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term.

In the circumstances, we do not think it is possible for all exams in the summer to go ahead as planned. We will accordingly be working with Ofqual to consult rapidly to put in place alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly.

Public exams and vocational assessments scheduled to take place in January will go ahead as planned.

Universities

Those students who are undertaking training and study for the following courses should return to face to face learning as planned and be tested twice, upon arrival or self-isolate for ten days:

Students who do not study these courses should remain where they are wherever possible, and start their term online, as facilitated by their university until at least Mid-February. This includes students on other practical courses not on the list above.

We have previously published guidance to universities and students on how students can return safely to higher education in the spring term. This guidance sets out how we will support higher education providers to enable students that need to return to do so as safely as possible following the winter break.

If you live at university, you should not move back and forward between your permanent home and student home during term time.

For those students who are eligible for face to face teaching, you can meet in groups of more than your household as part of your formal education or training, where necessary. Students should expect to follow the guidance and restrictions. You should socially distance from anyone you do not live with wherever possible.

Childcare

There are several ways that parents and carers can continue to access childcare:

Care home visits

Visits to care homes can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed. No visits will be permitted in the event of an outbreak.

You should check the guidance on visiting care homes during COVID-19 to find out how visits should be conducted. Residents cannot meet people indoors on a visit out (for example, to visit their relatives in the family home). There is separate guidance for those in supported living.

Weddings, civil partnerships, religious services and funerals

Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and funerals are allowed with strict limits on attendance, and must only take place in COVID-19 secure venues or in public outdoor spaces unless in exceptional circumstances.

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.

Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies must only take place with up to 6 people. Anyone working is not included. These should only take place in exceptional circumstances, for example, an urgent marriage where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover, or is to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery.

Places of worship

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 maintain strict social distancing at all times.

You should follow the national guidance on the safe use of places of worship.

Sports and physical activity

Indoor gyms and sports facilities will remain closed. Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close. Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue.

Moving home

You can still move home. People outside your household or support bubble should not help with moving house unless absolutely necessary.

Estate and letting agents and removals firms can continue to work. If you are looking to move, you can go to property viewings.

Follow the national guidance on moving home safely, which includes advice on social distancing, letting fresh air in, and wearing a face covering.

Financial support

Wherever you live, you may be able to get financial help  

Businesses and venues

Businesses and venues which must close

To reduce social contact, the regulations require some businesses to close and impose restrictions on how some businesses provide goods and services. The full list of businesses required to close can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England, but includes:

Some of these businesses and places will also be permitted to be open for a small number of exempt activities. A full list of exemptions can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England, but includes:

Businesses and venues which can remain open

Other businesses and venues are permitted to stay open, following COVID-19 secure guidelines. Businesses providing essential goods and services can stay open. The full list of these businesses can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England, but includes:

Public services

The majority of public services will continue and you will be able to leave home to visit them. These include: