Cornwall in Tier 2: What are the rules?
The Duchy will have to follow new restrictions from Boxing Day
Last updated 23rd Dec 2020
Cornwall will be under Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions from Boxing Day onwards, as Covid cases continue to rise 'rapidly' in the Duchy.
But what are the rules? Here is a full list of what you can and can't do:
Meeting family and friends
Meeting indoors
You can only meet socially with friends and family indoors who you either:
live with
have formed a support bubble with
Unless a legal exemption applies.
‘Indoors’ means any indoor setting, including:
private homes
other indoor venues such as pubs and restaurants
Meeting outdoors
You can see friends and family you do not live with (or do not have a support bubble with) outdoors, in a group of no more than 6. This limit of 6 includes children of any age.
‘Outdoors’ means in a private garden or other outdoor space.
You can continue to meet in a group larger than 6 if you are all from the same household or support bubble or another legal exemption applies.
Support and childcare bubbles
There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles across all tiers. Support bubbles have been expanded. From 2 December you can form a support bubble with another household if any of the following apply to you:
you are the only adult in your household – any other members of the household having been under 18 on 12 June 2020 – or are an under-18-year-old living alone.
you live with someone with a disability who requires continuous care and there is no other adult living in the household
you live with a child who is under 1, or who was under 1 on 2 December 2020
you live with a child who is under 5, or who was under 5 on 2 December 2020, with a disability
You may need to change your support bubble if your circumstances change. Find out more about changing your support bubble
Meeting in larger groups
There are exceptions where people can continue to gather indoors, or in groups larger than 6 outdoors, including:
as part of a single household or support bubble
in a childcare bubble (for the purposes of childcare only)
for work, or providing voluntary or charitable services, including in other people’s homes (see guidance on working safely in other people’s homes)
for registered childcare, education or training – meaning education related to a formal curriculum, or training that relates to work or obtaining work
for supervised activities provided for children, and those who were under 18 on 31 August 2020, including wraparound care (before and after school childcare), childrens’ groups and activities for under-18s, and children’s playgroups
for parent and toddler groups – up to a maximum of 15 people (under-5s do not count towards this limit). These cannot take place in private dwellings
for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians
to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care
for prospective adopting parents to meet a child or children who may be placed with them
support groups of up to 15 participants – formally organised groups to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support, where it is necessary for these to take place in person. These cannot take place in private dwellings. Under-5s do not count towards the 15-person limit for support groups
for birth partners
to provide emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm
to see someone who is dying
to fulfil a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service
for gatherings within criminal justice accommodation or immigration detention centres
to provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable, or to provide respite for a carer
for a wedding or equivalent ceremony and reception where the organiser has carried out a risk assessment and taken all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of the virus – up to 15 people. These cannot take place in private dwellings, except for deathbed weddings that take place in exceptional circumstances where one of the parties is seriously ill and not expected to recover
for funerals – up to a maximum of 30 people and for linked commemorative events, such as wakes or stone settings – up to 15 people. These cannot take place in private dwellings except for members of the same household or support bubble.
to visit someone at home who is dying, or to visit someone receiving treatment in a hospital, hospice or care home, or accompanying a family or friend to a medical appointment
for elite sportspeople (and their support team if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) to compete and train
for organised outdoor sport and physical activity, and organised sports for disabled people
to facilitate a house move
Other activities, such as hobby groups, organised indoor sport, physical activity and exercise classes can continue to take place, provided that different households or support bubbles do not mix. Where it is likely that groups will mix, these activities should not go ahead. There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s, which can take place with larger groups mixing.
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 each further offence up to £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.
Keeping you and your friends and family safe
When meeting friends and family you should also:
follow guidance on social distancing and letting in fresh air
limit how many different people you see socially over any period of time.
meet people outdoors if possible: this is safer because fresh air provides better ventilation
Protecting people more at risk from coronavirus
If you have any of the following health conditions, you may be clinically vulnerable, meaning you could be at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus. If you are clinically vulnerable you:
can go outside as much as you like but you should still try to keep your overall social interactions low.
can go to school
should still access the social care and medical services you need
can visit businesses, such as supermarkets, pubs and shops, while keeping 2 metres away from others wherever possible or 1 metre plus other precautions, but consider doing so at quieter times of the day
should continue to wash your hands carefully and more frequently than usual and maintain thorough cleaning of frequently touched areas in your home and/or workspace
Clinically vulnerable people are those who are:
aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (that is, anyone instructed to get a flu jab each year on medical grounds):
chronic (long-term) mild to moderate respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
chronic kidney disease
chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), or cerebral palsy
diabetes
a weakened immune system as the result of certain conditions or medicines they are taking (such as steroid tablets)
being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
pregnant
There is a further group of people who are defined, also on medical grounds, as clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus – that is, people with specific serious health conditions. At each tier, there is additional advice that clinically extremely vulnerable people must follow.
Visiting venues, such as restaurants, pubs, cinemas and museums
Venues can host multiple groups and should follow COVID-secure guidance, but you must not mix with anyone who is not part of your household or support bubble when you are indoors.
This includes in:
pubs and restaurants
leisure and entertainment venues
personal care/close contact services
public buildings, such as libraries, community centres and halls
At least one person in your group should give their contact details to the venue, or each individual should check in using the official NHS COVID-19 app so NHS Test and Trace can contact you if needed.
Businesses and venues
All businesses and venues should follow COVID-secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and workers.
Restrictions on businesses and venues in Tier 2 areas include:
nightclubs and adult entertainment venues must remain closed
pubs and bars may not provide alcohol for consumption on the premises, unless with a substantial meal, so they are operating as a restaurant. They may remain open for take-away services
other hospitality businesses – including cafes, restaurants and social clubs – can only serve alcohol with substantial meals. If they are a business which serves alcohol for consumption on the premises, they must be table service only. In cinemas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadia, alcohol can be ordered at a bar to be consumed when seated in the auditorium or area where the screening/performance is taking place. This should be limited to only those with tickets. When it is to be consumed in the bar area itself, it must be part of a substantial meal and full table service must be provided
hospitality venues that do not serve alcohol may allow someone to order from the counter, but they must still consume their meal from a seat if eating in
hospitality venues must stop taking orders after 10pm and must close between 11pm and 5am (with exceptions for airports, ports, the Folkestone international rail terminal, on public transport services and in motorway service areas, although these places cannot sell alcohol after 11pm)
hospitality businesses and venues selling food and drink for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm, such as by take-away. After 11pm, this must only be through delivery service or click-and-collect or drive-through.
businesses must not provide shared smoking equipment for use on the premises.
visitor attractions, entertainment businesses and venues may open but early closure (11pm) applies to the following:
casinos
theatres
museums
bowling alleys
adult gaming centres and amusement arcades
funfairs, theme parks and adventure parks and activities
bingo halls
cinemas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadia
cinemas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadia can stay open beyond 11pm in order to conclude performances and events that start before 10pm
tour groups must operate in line with social contact rules. This means that larger tours where different households or support bubbles (or groups of more than 6 if outdoors) interact will not be feasible
accommodation, such as hotels, holiday lets and guesthouses, may open but businesses must take reasonable steps to ensure that social contact rules are followed within their venues
retail businesses and premises may open but must ensure that they operate in a COVID-19-secure manner
theatres, concert halls, music venues and sports stadia are open, but capacity will be restricted to whichever is lower: 50% capacity or 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors
conference centres and exhibition halls are open. Business events are permitted, but capacity should be restricted to whichever is lower: 50% capacity of 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors
certain businesses and venues are required to collect customer, visitor and staff data to support NHS Test and Trace
the wearing of face coverings for customers and staff (other than those with exemptions) is mandatory in certain indoor settings
businesses must ensure that if their workers are required to self-isolate, they do not work outside their designated place of self-isolation
businesses and venues that fail to comply with these restrictions may face fines of up to £10,000, prosecution, or in some cases closure
See full guidance on which businesses and venues are permitted to be open under each local restriction tier.
Going to work
To help contain the virus, everyone who can work effectively from home should do so.
Where people cannot do so - 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.
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.
For more information, follow the guidance on how to return to work safely.
Going to school, college and university
The government has prioritised ensuring all children and young people can attend school and college safely, to support their wellbeing and education and help working parents and guardians. All pupils should continue to attend school and colleges, unless required to self-isolate, when their school and college should provide them with high quality remote education.
Universities
Universities should follow guidance on reopening buildings to ensure they have safety measures in place to minimise the spread of the virus.
If you’re a student, you can meet in groups of more than your household as part of your formal education or training. Students should expect to follow the guidance and restrictions. You should socially distance from anyone you do not live with wherever possible.
University students are allowed to change their household temporarily once after 2 December to return home for Christmas. After that point they should comply with the social contact limits above as if their family home is their household. This will not affect any support bubble arrangements their family home is part of. Where available, students should take advantage of a free test from their university before departing.
Schools and colleges
In schools and colleges where year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by adults (staff and visitors) and pupils when moving around indoors, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain.
See guidance for teachers, school leaders, carers and parents on education and childcare.
Childcare
There are several ways that parents and carers can continue to access childcare in tier 2. You can get childcare support from:
registered childcare providers
professional childcare providers in the home such as nannies (see guidance on working safely in other people’s homes)
other supervised activities provided for young people (including anyone who was under 18 on 31 August 2020) – including wraparound care, childrens’ groups and activities, and children’s playgroups
people in their childcare bubble – parents are able to form a childcare bubble with one other household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under.
people in their support bubble – some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubble.
Friends or family who do not live with you and are not part of a support or childcare bubble must not visit your home to help with childcare. Childcare bubbles are to be used to provide childcare only, and not for the purposes of different households mixing where they are otherwise not allowed to do so. Read guidance on making and using a childcare bubble.
Visiting relatives in care homes
Visits to care homes can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, and window visits. Regular testing will be offered to up to two family members or friends per resident by Christmas, which – when combined with other infection-control measures such as PPE – will support indoor visits with physical contact. Detailed guidance will be published shortly.
Travel
Where possible, you should stay local and avoid travelling outside of your local area, meaning your village or town, or part of a city. You should stay local and avoid travelling outside of your local area, meaning your village or town, or part of a city, where possible. People should continue to travel for reasons such as work, education, getting medical attention or fulfilling caring responsibilities.
You can still continue to travel to venues that are open, or for reasons such as work or education, but you should reduce the number of journeys you make wherever possible.
Walk or cycle where possible, and plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. This will allow you to practise 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.
You must not travel if you are experiencing any coronavirus symptoms, are self-isolating as a result of coronavirus symptoms, are sharing a household or support bubble with somebody with symptoms, or have been told to self-isolate after being contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
You can still travel within Tier 2 areas to hotels and other guest accommodation. You should only do this with people in your household or support bubble.
Travelling out of a Tier 2 area
You should stay local and avoid travelling outside of your local area, meaning your village or town, or part of a city, where possible. People should continue to travel for reasons such as work, education, getting medical attention or fulfilling caring responsibilities.
If you live in a Tier 2 area, you must continue to follow Tier 2 rules when you travel to a Tier 1 area.
However, avoid travel to or overnight stays in Tier 3 areas other than where necessary, such as:
for work
for education
to access voluntary, charitable or youth services
to visit your support bubble
to receive medical treatment
for moving home
because of caring responsibilities
You can travel through a Tier 3 area as a part of a longer journey.
People should carefully consider whether they must travel abroad and should follow the rules in their area. In addition, you should consider the public health advice in the country you are visiting. For international travel see the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Travel Advice for your destination and the travel corridors list.
When travelling, it is important that you respect the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and do not travel to different parts of the UK where their intended activities there would be prohibited by legislation passed by the relevant devolved administration.
There is guidance on what to do if you’ve booked holiday accommodation in a local restriction area.
Weddings, civil partnerships, religious services and funerals
Weddings, funerals and wakes
Wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and funerals should only take place in COVID-secure venues or in public outdoor spaces, unless in exceptional circumstances.
Receptions and wakes should be sit down meals to ensure people can keep their distance from each other and must not take place in private dwellings.
You can have up to:
15 people for weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and receptions
30 people for funerals
15 people for wakes or linked ceremonial events (such as stone-settings) before or after the funeral
The limits above are the maximum number for all attendees at the event, for example at a wedding or civil partnership ceremony to include the couple and guests. Anyone working at a wedding, civil partnership ceremony, reception, wake or funeral is not included in the limit. Within these larger gatherings, social distancing should still be followed between people who do not live together or share a support bubble.
Read the guidance on
small marriages and civil partnerships and
managing a funeral during the coronavirus pandemic.
If you live in a Tier 2 area and are going to a wedding, funeral, or linked commemorative event in a Tier 4 area, the event must follow the Tier 4 gathering limit. You must not attend a wedding reception in a Tier 3 or Tier 4 area.
If you live in a Tier 4 area and are going to a wedding, funeral or linked commemorative event inside a Tier 2 area, the event must comply with the Tier 4 gathering limits.
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.
You should follow the national guidance on the safe use of places of worship.
Sport and physical activity
In line with guidelines from sporting national governing bodies, you can take part in organised sport and physical activity outdoors with any number of people.
You can only take part in organised sport, exercise classes and other group activities indoors with people you live with or share a support bubble with.
There are exceptions for the following, which can take place in any number:
disability sport
sports as part of the curriculum in education
supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s (including those who were under 18 on 31 August 2020)
You can do unlimited exercise outdoors or in gyms and other sports facilities. If it is not a formally organised activity, you can only exercise outdoors in groups of up to six (or your household or support bubble), or indoors with your own households or support bubble.
You should follow the guidance on:
recreational team sport
outdoor sport and recreation in England
for providers of grassroots sports and gym/leisure facilities
Moving home
You can still move home.
Estate and letting agents and removals firms can continue to work. If you are looking to move home you can go to property viewings.
Follow the national guidance on moving home safely. This includes advice on social distancing and wearing a face covering.
Financial support
Wherever you live, you may be able to get financial help:
financial support packages for businesses
financial support for closed businesses as a result of tiering restrictions
claim for employee wages through Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
financial support if you’re off work because of coronavirus