COVID-19 Update from Buckinghamshire Council

Where NTAT are unable to make contact with a resident, Buckinghamshire Council will be supporting by calling residents from its dedicated number, 01296 585167. The team of trained staff will offer advice and support to residents who’ve tested positive to COVID-19 as well identifying those that they have been in close contact with, so the national service can contact them and advise them to self-isolate.

We will be preparing residents by issuing a series of communications urging them to ‘answer the call’. The dedicated number will reassure residents that the call is from the council and prepare them for the kind of questions we will be asking and the advice on hand. The service will be running seven days a week. Further information is available in the official press release.

Guidance on Christmas arrangements and local tier restrictions
Guidance on the arrangements for the Christmas period (23 -27 December) and the days leading up to this can now be found on the government website. It includes guidance on meeting friends and family, visiting bars, pubs and restaurants, visiting churches and places of worship, visiting shops, attending events and travelling within the UK and abroad.

From 2 – 23 December local tier restrictions apply:

Buckinghamshire is currently in Tier 2 (high alert). However, the tiers will be reviewed every two weeks, starting on 16 December so it is important to keep up-to-date with the latest guidance. The guidelines for Tier 2 area are summarised below:

Meeting friends and family – no meeting indoors and the rule of six applies outdoors

• You can only meet socially with friends and family indoors if you live with or have formed a support bubble with them.
• You can see family and friends you do not live with (or are not in a support bubble) in a group of no more than six.
• Support bubbles and childcare bubbles can be formed in some circumstances. A support bubble allows two households to come together, where one of those households (for example, a single person or someone with a young baby) may otherwise be isolated under the restrictions. They can join with another household without the need to socially distance.

Visiting bars, pubs and restaurants – you must not mix with anyone who is not part of your household or support bubble when you are indoors.

• alcohol can only be purchased for consumption on the premises as part of a substantial meal
• hospitality venues must stop taking orders after 10pm and must close between 11pm and 5am

Visiting churches and other places of worship – you can attend places of worship for a service. However, you must not socialise with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. Social distancing guidelines must be adhered to at all times. This means people should be 2 metres apart or more than 1 metre apart as well as taking extra steps to stay safe (such as wearing face coverings).

Visiting shops and Christmas markets – you must not mix with anyone who is not part of your household or support bubble when you are indoors.

• Santa’s grottos are able to open in all tiers where they are located in venues otherwise permitted to open. Venues should put in place appropriate COVID-secure measures, including social distancing.

Attending events, including performances and Christmas lighting ceremonies – The current national tier 2 restrictions in Buckinghamshire are that we must not mix with anyone from another household or support bubble indoors, and we must stick to the rule of 6 outdoors. There are, however, some exemptions for events, pending risk assessments and event management.

• Carol singing – can take place if all attendees follow advice in the suggested principles of safer singing and guidance for the Performing Arts, which includes advice on having outdoor performances, the maximum capacity for indoor venues, and managing performances safely.
• Performances by pupils, such as nativity plays, can take place within existing school bubbles. Audiences are permitted to attend, subject to the appropriate safeguards being in place (see guidance above).

Travelling within the UK – If you travel from a Tier 2 area to a Tier 1 area, you must continue to follow the Tier 2 rules. You should also avoid travel to, or overnight stays in a Tier 3 area unless it is essential. Please note all neighbouring areas to Buckinghamshire are also in Tier 2 apart from Slough, which is in Tier 3. If you are travelling to a Tier 3 area, please take the time to read the Tier 3 advice as these areas are currently subject to different regulations.

Travelling abroad – The latest rules and travel advice can be found on the government website.

Christmas Week (23-27 December) the following guidelines apply:

• Meeting friends and family – you may choose to form a Christmas bubble with friends and family. This must be composed of people from no more than three households.
• Visiting bars, pubs and restaurants – the rules on who you can meet in bars, pubs and restaurants will be the same as the local tier restrictions.
• Visiting churches and other places of worship – you may attend a place of worship with members of your Christmas bubble.
• Visiting shops and Christmas markets – the rules on who you can meet in shops will not change, local tier restrictions apply.
• Attending events, including performances and Christmas lighting ceremonies – for indoor events, local tier restrictions apply. However, you can attend outdoor events with your Christmas bubble.
• Travelling within the UK – you may travel between tiers and other nations of the UK if necessary to meet with other households in your Christmas bubble or return home. Once at your destination, you should follow the rules in that tier. Details of which tier an area is in and the local restrictions that apply can be found on the government website.
• Travelling abroad – the rules on international travel will not change. The latest rules and travel advice can be found on the government website.

From 28 December, including New Year’s Eve:
Local tier restrictions apply. This includes hospitality venues which are required to close by 23:00 at the latest.

Additional guidance

Additional guidance is provided on the government website.