Common questions on Leicester lockdown
Find answers to common questions about the local restrictions, including meeting other people, support bubbles, social distancing and travel.
From Wednesday 2 December, Leicester will move into Tier 3: very high. This is a reflection of the serious situation here. Cases in Leicester are starting to fall, but they remain very high. The recent measures are beginning to work so we must keep going to protect our loved ones.
These measures apply from 2 December:
- You cannot meet socially indoors or in private gardens with people you do not live with, unless they are in your single adult support bubble
- You can meet up in parks or public outdoor spaces – no more than six people and all 2m apart.
- You should avoid unnecessary travel to other parts of the UK.
Full information on the new restrictions is available at GOV.UK.
- Bars (including shisha venues), pubs, cafes and restaurants stay closed but can provide takeaway, delivery and click-and-collect services.
- Leisure and sports facilities may open, and most organised outdoor sports can continue. Indoor group exercise classes are not permitted.
- Museums, cinemas, theatres and indoor entertainments stay closed.
- Hotels are also closed – there are a few exceptions.
- Non-essential shops, hairdressers and beauty salons can reopen.
- Places of worship can open, with some restrictions.
You can find the full list at GOV.UK.
Please note that some council facilities may remain closed, even though they would legally be allowed to reopen. This is because we need to redeploy some of our staff to help with our response to the rise in cases, including the new programme of rapid testing.
Yes – the government has announced that there will be grants for businesses that were affected under the national and local restrictions, including Tier 2 and Tier 3.
Latest information regarding grants is available on our business grants page.
We update the latest figures online every week. View latest Leicester figures.
The advice is to:
- Limit your contact with other people.
- Don't mix with other households indoors or in private gardens, unless you have formed a support bubble as a single adult.
- Work from home if you can.
- Reduce the number of journeys you make.
- Walk or cycle if possible, or use buses outside peak times if you can.
- Stay 2m apart from anyone you do not live with.
- Wash or sanitise your hands regularly.
- Wear a face covering on buses, in shops, when dropping or collecting children at school, and in any space where distancing is difficult.
- Book a test and self-isolate as soon as you get symptoms.
- If you test positive, continue to stay at home for at least 10 days and until you feel better. Everyone you live with should stay at home for 10 days even if they have no symptoms.
If you live alone, or you are a single adult with children under 18, you can still form a support bubble with one other household. The household you bubble with can be of any size. All those in a support bubble can act as if they live in the same household – you can spend time together inside each other’s homes and do not need to stay two metres apart.
You can only form support bubbles with one other household – you should not switch the household you are in a bubble with or connect with multiple households.
More information on support bubbles can be found at GOV.UK.
Parents can form a childcare bubble with another household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under. This must be part of a consistent childcare arrangement, not a one-off or a play date. Guidance on making a childcare bubble with another household can be found at GOV.UK.
Vulnerable adults can be cared for by individuals outside of their immediate household as part of a care bubble.
Follow the advice your school has given you. If your child is sent home without symptoms they still have to self-isolate at home for 14 days. This means that they cannot leave the house and garden for two weeks, even for exercise. Even if they don’t display any symptoms, your child must not come into contact with anyone outside of the household for the full 14 days.
The rest of your household does not have to stay at home unless someone develops symptoms. Find out further information if your child's class or group has been asked to isolate.
If you – or someone you know – needs help with food, medicine or other essential supplies, email us at: c19support@leicester.gov.uk.
NHS Volunteer Responders
The NHS Volunteer Responders can help:
- People who choose avoid going to supermarkets and pharmacies.
- People with caring responsibilities.
- People who are self-isolating because they’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have symptoms.
- People who’ve been instructed to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace service, because they’ve been near someone infected.
- People who are self-isolating ahead of planned hospital care.
- Frontline health and care workers.
To request support with any of the above, you can call: 0808 196 3646 (8am-8pm).
If you are unsure of the rules relating to Leicester, you can use the post code checker at GOV.UK to check current restrictions before reporting a breach to us.
Reporting a business
We are responsible for enforcing the majority of regulations for businesses. We ensure we provide businesses with current advice and guidance to help keep their customers and staff safe.
If a breach of regulations is reported to us we will provide advice and guidance and take enforcement action where appropriate.
Reporting individuals, gatherings and face covering breaches
Leicestershire Police are responsible for enforcing the regulations regarding individuals, gatherings (including private homes), this will also include face coverings. Please report these breaches directly to Leicestershire Police.
You must wear a face covering on public transport and in hospitals, shops, banks/building societies, post offices, places of worship, cafes, restaurants (except when seated at a table to eat or drink) and take-away food places. We are also asking you to wear a face covering when dropping off or collecting children at school.
See detailed guidance on our face covering page.
Places of worship will be closed until 2 December, unless they are being used for:
- funerals
- to broadcast acts of worship
- individual prayer
- formal childcare or where the location is part of a school
- essential voluntary and public services, such as blood donation or food banks
- other exempted activities such as some support groups.
Places of worship will open from 2 December, but you must not attend with or socialise with anyone outside of your household or support bubble while you are there, unless a legal exemption applies.
Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees.
- 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies (wedding receptions are not allowed)
- 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies,
- 15 people can attend linked commemorative events