The Covid situation in Cheshire as lockdown starts

New restrictions are in place in an attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19 and bring it under control.

Here is everything that you need to know, including what you can and cannot do and how long the new measures will be in place.

What does the lockdown mean?

You must not leave or be outside of your home except for specific purposes.

These include work or education purposes where you cannot do this from home, shopping for food and medicine, collecting any items ordered through click-and-collect or as a takeaway, exercise, obtaining or depositing money, accessing critical public services or fulfilling legal obligations.

You can leave home to visit people in your support bubble, provide informal childcare for children 13 and under as part of a childcare bubble, provide care for vulnerable people, provide emergency assistance, attend a support group (of up to 15 people), or receive respite care.

You can leave home for any medical reason, including to get a Covid-19 test, appointments and emergencies or to visit someone who is in hospital, giving birth or dying.

In general, you must not meet people socially, however you can exercise or meet in a public, outdoors space with people you live with, your support bubble or with one other person.

You should minimise time spent outside your home and stay two metres apart from anyone not in your household.

You must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble.

What businesses will be closing?

Non-essential retail, such as clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms and betting shops

Hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs; with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway (before 10pm; and not including alcohol)

Accommodation such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites.

Leisure and sports facilities such as leisure centres and gyms, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, golf courses, fitness and dance studios, climbing walls, archery, driving, and shooting ranges

Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, go-karting venues, soft play centres and areas, circuses, funfairs, zoos and other animal attractions, water parks, theme parks.

Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services.

Places of worship, apart from for the purposes of independent prayer, and service broadcasting and funerals

What businesses will remain open?

Essential retail such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, hardware stores, building merchants and off-licences.

Petrol Stations, car repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses.

Banks, building societies, post offices, loan providers and money transfer businesses

Other businesses include: funeral directors, launderettes and dry cleaners, medical and dental services, vets and pet shops, car parks, public toilets, motorway service areas and outdoor playgrounds

What about schools and colleges?

These will all remain open throughout the country, no matter whether areas are in the strictest lockdown areas.

You can leave home for education (formal provision, rather than extracurricular classes such as music or drama tuition), training, registered childcare and children’s activities that are necessary to allow parents/carers to work, seek work, or undertake education or training.

Parents can still take their children to school, and people can continue existing arrangements for contact between parents and children where they live apart.

What are the latest case figures for Cheshire?

In the seven days up to October 31, a total of 852 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Cheshire West, 87 more than in the week up to October 24.

That gives the borough, which includes Northwich and Winsford, an infection rate now of 248.3 per 100,000 people compared to 223 per 100,000 one week ago.

Meanwhile in Cheshire East, there were 808 new cases of Covid in the week up to October 31, which was actually 36 fewer than the week up to October 24.

That means the borough, including Knutsford and Middlewich, has an infection rate now of 210.3 per 100,000 people compared to 219.7 per 100,000 one week ago.

Elsewhere, Halton's infection rate is now 282.8 per 100,000, Warrington's is 463.3, and Oldham has the highest rate in the country at 741.8.

How many patients are in hospital?

As of yesterday, Wednesday, there were 2,845 patients in hospital with coronavirus across the north west, including 293 new admissions.

Of those patients, 238 were on ventilation.

The trusts that run Leighton, Macclesfield and the Countess of Chester hospitals all recorded new deaths from coronavirus yesterday.

There have now been 224 deaths recorded by Leighton's Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, 239 at the Countess and 160 at East Cheshire Trust.

What has the council said?

Leaders from Cheshire met on Monday to discuss the new rules and what they would mean for the county. 

Following the meeting, CEC leader Cllr Sam Corcoran said: "We have spoken out over the last eight months, when the government was slow to act, failed to deliver critical support, relied too heavily on opaque national commercial contracts, didn’t provide enough certainty to protect jobs and businesses, and made announcements without proper consultation with local government.

"But, given where we now are, the pressures on our NHS, and the advice of national and local public health experts, we support the government’s decision to introduce a time-limited national lockdown.”

CWAC leader Cllr Louise Gittins added: "We now need to use this time to make a difference beyond November.  We need an exit strategy.

"By using this time to put in place the right local and national systems, we can put ourselves in a better position to keep the virus under control through Christmas and into 2021.”

How long will the lockdown be in place?

The new measures will apply nationally for four weeks up to Wednesday, December 2.

At the end of the period, the country will return to the tiers system based on the latest data.