The lockdown in England due to start this Thursday 05 November 2020 will be governed by the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No 4) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/1200) which were laid before Parliament at 4.10 pm this afternoon and, unless I am a banana, will be approved in Parliament tomorrow. Just 32 pages! Here are a few things you may not have realised you will be able to do.
- There are many specified reasons for leaving your home which amount to a reasonable excuse and so will be okay. But you may have some other excuse for going out which is not specified. If it is reasonable, you will still be okay.
- Going out for the purpose of visiting a waste disposal or recycling centre is classified as a reasonable excuse. We had better call that the rubbish excuse.
- Attending an event commemorating Remembrance Sunday will also be a reasonable excuse.
- For the purpose of one to one exercise or recreation gatherings outside- that is between a member of a household and one other person who is not a member- the other person is not reckoned if a child under five. This means, for example, that one household member could meet up with one other adult and a four year old child.
- It is a reasonable excuse to leave home for the purpose of any training and not just education.
- Leaving home for medical assistance is permitted as a reasonable excuse and that assistance can be from or by way of 'dental services, opticians, audiology services, chiropody, chiropractors, osteopaths and other medical or health services, including services relating to mental health.'
- The child care bubble enables a person to provide informal child care for children in another household who are under 13. All the adult members of both households must agree.There cannot be a similar arrangement between two other households. This is an exception which will enable grandparents to continue to act as slaves to one set of grandchildren but it is not limited to grandparents and, on my interpretation of the regulations, the child care care may by more than one person from the second household. However, it must be reasonably necessary for this child care to be provided. If , for example, two children live with parents who are stuck at home and not working there and have two live in nannies and a governess, it would be difficult to sell the idea to the police that the informal arrangements were reasonably necessary.
Stay safe.
