As reported in the news, we now have a 4 week pause and remain in step 3 before we move to Step 4. The government says more time is needed to vaccinate the adult population. In this article we look at the changes to rules and the roadmap to lifting lockdown.
It is now expected that England will move to Step 4 on 19 July, though the data will be reviewed after two weeks in case the risks have reduced.
Overview of the new restriction changes
Some restrictions changed this week, from 21st June 2021, there will be changes to the following rules:
- Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies and wedding receptions or civil partnership celebrations will no longer be limited to 30.
- Commemorative events following a death such as a wake, stone setting or ash scattering.
- Large events pilots.
- Care home visits.
- Domestic residential visits for children.
Weddings, civil partnerships and commemorative events
The rules on the number of people who can attend a wedding or civil partnership ceremony, a wedding reception or civil partnership celebration, and a commemorative event following a funeral such as a wake, stone setting or ash scattering, will change and no longer be limited to 30.
The number of people who can attend these events in a COVID-Secure venue or other venue (such as a garden of a private home) will be determined by how many people a venue can safely accommodate with social distancing measures in place, including guests of all ages and anyone working at the event.
In a COVID-secure venue, where the premises are operated or used by a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution or a public body (such as a place of worship or a hospitality venue) your venue manager will need to tell you the maximum number of people who will be able to attend.
For events taking place in other venues with more than 30 guests, (such as a garden of a private home or on private land), organisers will need to complete a COVID-19 risk assessment to determine how many guests will be able to attend, and make the venue as safe as possible. A marquee or other structure in a garden of a private home must have at least 50% of its walled area open at any time for it to be classed as ‘outdoors’ and for the limit based on safe capacity to apply.
These events must not happen indoors at private dwellings, unless they are urgent marriages where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover. These can take place in private dwellings with up to 30 people. This includes enclosed structures in gardens of private homes.
