On the left hand side of this page (or at the bottom, if you're on a mobile device) you can see a number of links which set out the support for businesses and individuals, as well as more information on the Coronavirus outbreak.
Latest Updates
Prime Minister announces National Lockdown - 4th January 2021
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.
For the full guidance please go to:
National lockdown: Stay at Home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Prime Minister announces Covid-19 Winter Plan for England
The PM has set out the Covid Winter Plan in the House of Commons to outline the restrictions that will come into force across England from the 2nd December.
Full details of the Covid-19 Winter Plan can be found here.
England will return to a tiered system of restrictions: Medium, High and Very High, with different areas of the country falling in different tiers. The tiers for each area will be reviewed on December 16th.
Devon has been allocated at Tier 2 - High Alert.
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New National Restrictions to come into force on Thursday 5th November for England
The PM has announced a new national lockdown for England which will come into force THIS THURSDAY until 2nd December. We had been working very hard to take the tiers system forward but powerful evidence showed the balance between protecting the NHS & elective patients without this action would be impossible whiteout broader action.
Ministers and my fellow MPs met with the Health Secretary early this evening asking for further insight as to why these new measures will need approval by Parliament this week. As the CMO summed it up. No right time to do this, anytime has it’s downsides.
‼️There are some key differences to the previous national lockdown‼️
- Schools, colleges and universities will stay open
- Non-essential shops will be closed, but supermarkets will stay open
- The hospitality sector will close but moving to takeaways will be allowed to continue
- You will only be allowed to meet with 1 other person beyond your household to form a bubble
- You must stay at home except to leave your house for exercise, for medical reasons, appointments, to escape injury or harm, to shop for food and essentials and to provide care for vulnerable people
- Workplaces should stay open where people cannot work from home – for example in the construction or manufacturing sectors.
NOTE:
- Children will be able to move between homes if their parents are separated
- Adults living alone will still be able to form support bubbles
- If you are deemed clinically vulnerable, or if you are over 60, minimise contact with others - do not go to work if you are unable to work from home
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on further restrictions across the country, the Chancellor has decided to extended the furlough scheme for a further month covering 80% of employees’ wages.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/furlough-scheme-extended-and-further-economic-support-announced
These national restrictions will apply in England from 5 November until 2 December.
You must stay at home, with a limited set of exemptions.
After 4 weeks the Government will look to return to a local and regional approach, based on the latest data.
Get the latest help, health advice and support about coronavirus from the above too
New 'Tier' system to control local rates of coronavirus (in place until Thursday 5th November)
A ‘Tier’ system has been announced for regions and local authority areas across the country. Areas will be placed in tiers ranged from 1 to 3 based on the severity of local infection rates and hospitalisations.
• Tier 1 (medium risk): The current national measures of the rule of 6 and 10pm curfew on pubs apply.
• Tier 2 (high risk): All social mixing between households indoors is banned but mixing outdoors (including private gardens) will be allowed with the rule of 6 and maintaining social distancing.
• Tier 3 (very high risk): Social mixing is prohibited in all settings, along with the full closure of pubs and bars.
The whole of Devon is placed at Tier 1, which means there is no change to the restrictions that are already in place. A full explanation of the Medium tier can be found here.
Please remember to only get tested if you have symptoms, but if you have a new, continuous cough, a temperature, a loss or change of taste or smell, you should go to gov.uk/Coronavirus and book a test.
We should continue to remember the basics of hands, face and space.
Continue to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces, and keep 2 meters apart from people you do not live with.
A plan to support our economy this winter
Today, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out the next stage of the government's economic response to Coronavirus in the House of Commons.
When we went into lockdown in March this year, the government announced a number of schemes to help support people's jobs and incomes as we worked to slow the spread of coronavirus. Most businesses had to close as we all stayed at home. As the economy has re-opened in recent months, the challenges we face have changed. The virus is still with us, and new restrictions will often mean reduced demand, particularly in the hospitality sector.
Today, the government has set out a new package of measures to support our economy this winter. This includes:
Coronavirus Job Support Scheme
The Coronavirus Job Retention (Furlough) Scheme helped to protect people's jobs and incomes during the lockdown so that workers who couldn't work during the crisis continued to be paid.
The new Job Support Scheme will support the wages of people who are in work, giving businesses who face reduced demand over the winter the option of keeping employees in a job on shorter hours, rather than making them redundant.
The scheme aims to support viable jobs for the future, so employees must continue to work at least a third of their normal hours and be paid for that work by their employer. The government will then top-up people's wages, with a third of the pay they have lost from reduced hours being paid for by the government, and the other third being paid for by employees. In total, employees will receive at least 77% of their normal salary.
The scheme will run from November to April. and all small and medium-sized businesses are eligible. Larger businesses can also apply, but only when their turnover has fallen. Workers employed as of yesterday are eligible, and any business can take part, even if they have not previously used the furlough scheme.
Support for the self-employed
To support the self-employed throughout the winter, the existing Self-Employed Income Support Grant will be extended on similar terms and conditions to the new Job Support Scheme.
Pay As You Grow
Earlier this year, the government introduced Bounce Back Loans to provide quick, first-year interest-free loans to businesses. Today, the government is providing greater flexibility on the repayment of these loans by introducing Pay As You Grow.
This means that loans can be extended from six to ten years, nearly halving the average monthly repayments. Businesses which are struggling can also choose to make interest-only payments, and any businesses in trouble can suspend repayments completely for six months.
Government-Backed Loan Deadline
The deadline to apply for any of the government-backed loans has been extended until the end of the year, and a new successor loan programme will begin in January.
VAT deferral scheme
Businesses were given the option to defer their VAT payments earlier this year. These payments are due in one lump sum in March, but businesses will now be given the option to spread their VAT bill over 11 repayments, with no interest to pay.
Self-assessment tax deferral
Self-assessed income taxpayers can also extend their outstanding tax bill over 12 months from January.
VAT cut extended
Earlier this year the government cut VAT for the hospitality and tourism sectors from 20% to 5%. To help protect jobs throughout the winter, the cut will be extended until 31st March next year.
New national restrictions to control coronavirus this winter
In recent weeks, we have seen the levels of coronavirus infection in Northumberland and across the UK rise significantly. Now is the time to take action, and prevent more significant restrictions that would impact us all.
Last week, the government implemented new restrictions for our region, meaning you cannot socialise with others you do not live with, and public venues must close by 10pm, and are limited to table service only.
Today, the Prime Minister has announced new additional restrictions for the whole country. These will apply to Northumberland. This means:
- Where possible, office workers who can work from home should do so.
- Hospitality and leisure businesses must close by 10pm.
- COVID-Secure guidelines will become legal obligations, and businesses could be fined or closed if they breach these rules. Employers must also not knowingly require or encourage somebody who is self-isolating to come to work.
- From Monday, a maximum of 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies and receptions, but up to 30 can attend funerals, as is currently the case.
- The 'Rule of 6' will be extended to cover adult indoor team sports.
There are also new rules regarding the use of face coverings, and the requirement to wear a face-covering has been extended to:
- All staff working in retail.
- All users of taxis and private hire vehicles.
- Staff and customers in indoor hospitality, except when seated at a table.
- The guidance that states face coverings and visors should be worn in close contact services will become law.
- Businesses must also remind people to wear face coverings where mandated.
We all need to continue to remember the basics: wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, cover your face in enclosed spaces where social distancing may be difficult, and stay 2 meters apart from others, or 1 metre with extra precautions.
Introducing the Rule of Six
Since the start of this year, our country has faced many tough challenges as we have fought the coronavirus pandemic.
The lockdown was a very difficult time for our country, but through our great national effort, virus infections have reduced significantly from the peak, and we have been able to return to a more normal way of life as lockdown as eased.
However, we have seen that as lockdowns have eased across Europe, case numbers have increased significantly. With cases on the rise in the UK, I wholeheartedly support the government in taking action to suppress the virus.
We all need to remember the basics: hands, face, space, and if you have symptoms - get a test.
You should continue to wash your hands often and for at least 20 seconds, wear a face-covering indoors, when social distancing may be difficult, and stay 2 meters apart from others, or 1 meter plus with extra precautions.
However, with cases on the rise, new rules are required in order to keep the virus under control.
That's why the government is introducing the Rule of 6.
From Monday 14th September, you cannot meet with other households socially in groups of more than 6. This applies both indoors and outdoors, including in private homes and gardens. This clarifies and simplifies the rules on social gatherings to make them easier to understand, and for the police to enforce.
There are a limited number of exemptions to this rule. COVID-Secure venues, such as places of worship, restaurants, and hospitality venues, where the total number of people inside the venue can be more than 6, but people cannot mix in individual groups of more than 6. The rules also do not apply to individual households or support bubbles of more than 6 who will still be able to gather together. Education and work settings are also unaffected, as is organised team sport, and weddings and funerals of up to 30 people.
From September 18th, it will also become mandatory for hospitality businesses to have a system in place to collect NHS Test and Trace data, which much be kept for 21 days.
The government is working with local authorities and police forces to respond to breaches of the COVID-19 Secure guidelines, and a register of newly qualified and recently retired Environmental Health Officers will also be established so that local councils can recruit more quickly and fill any gaps. COVID-19 Secure Marshals will also be introduced to help local authorities support social distancing in town and city centres.
In addition, the government is also taking steps to improve border requirements. The Passenger Locator Form, which is required for traveling into the UK, will be simplified, and measures will be introduced to ensure that passengers have completed their form before departure. Border Force will also step up and target enforcement efforts at the border to ensure arrivals into the UK are complying with the rules.
In July, the government set out plans to pilot larger audiences in venues this month. These plans will now be reviewed, and pilots will be limited to smaller, safer numbers with strict conditions to ensure social distancing. These plans will be reviewed on October 1st.
These are difficult measures, but nothing like the national lockdown imposed earlier this year. In order to control the virus, we all need to play our part by washing our hands, covering our faces indoor spaces, and keeping two meters apart from others. We will get through this, but we all need to work together.
Devon Outbreak Management Plan
For more information on Devon's detailed outbreak management plan from Devon County Council visit: https://www.devon.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-in-devon