The Prime Minister announced plans for a new four-week lockdown across England – MPs will vote on the proposals on Wednesday (November 4). If approved, the measures will be introduced at 00:01 GMT on Thursday, November 5, and remain in place until Wednesday, December 2.
After December 2, different regions will return to the tiers one to three, depending on the rates of infection.
Under the lockdown rules, people must work from home if they can, although workplaces will be asked to stay open if people cannot work from home – including construction and manufacturing.
Households will not be allowed to mix with others indoors, or in private gardens, although individuals can meet one person from outside their household in an outside public space.
Business which can remain open include:
- Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services
Business which will have to close during the lockdown include:
- All pubs and restaurants
- All non-essential retail, including, but not limited to clothing and electronics stores, vehicle showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops
- Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks
- Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, concert halls, zoos and other animal attractions, botanical gardens
- Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons
Financial support
Furlough payments under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be extended at 80% for the duration of England’s second lockdown. Workers will be paid at least 80% of their salary up to £2,500 a month, with employers being asked to pay National Insurance and pensions contributions for their staff during November.
The proposed new Job Support Scheme will now not be introduced until after the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends.
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme will be extended to cover the new lockdown period. Two grants will be available, each for three-month periods, covering November 2020 to January 2021 and February 2021 to April 2021.
In addition, business premises forced to close in England will receive grants worth up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant. An additional £1.1bn is being given to local authorities for one-off payments to enable them to support businesses locally.
Businesses required to close in England due to local or national restrictions will be eligible for the following:
- For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants to be £1,334 per month, or £667 per two weeks
- For properties with a rateable value of between £15k-£51k grants to be £2,000 per month, or £1,000 per two weeks
- For properties with a rateable value of £51k or over grants to be £3,000 per month, or £1,500 per two weeks
Quick links to Government help and advice
- Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
- Job Support Scheme (once furlough ends)
- New Style Employment and Support Allowance
- Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
- Local Restrictions Support Grant
- Full details of second lockdown restrictions
Further information and previous updates can be found on the Somerset Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 business support hub.