8th January 2021
On Monday, the Prime Minister announced a new national lockdown in response to significant rises in the cases of Covid-19 across the UK. This means major restrictions on all our lives, and a switch back to the “stay at home” requirement that was in place last spring. This is an even more challenging time than the first wave of Covid-19, with more cases of the virus and more people in hospital. It is imperative that we all stay at home, save lives, and protect each other and our NHS.
The new restrictions allow people to leave home only to:
- Go to work if you absolutely cannot work from home
- Exercise once a day in your local area
- Seek medical care or avoid injury, illness, or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
- Care for vulnerable people or to provide or seek childcare
- And for a small number of other exemptions listed at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Primary and secondary schools have switched to remote learning apart from for vulnerable children and the children of key workers and this is in place until at least February half-term. While it is vital that children are in school as much as possible, that can only happen where it is safe to do so for pupils, their families, teachers, and staff.
While this crisis has been immensely difficult for so many of us, we need to summon the same spirit and solidarity that got us through the first lockdown, when so many people stayed at home and helped to save thousands of lives. With vaccines being rolled out to vulnerable people across the UK as we speak, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we must work together to get through this.
Please continue to follow the public health advice: wear a mask, stay at least 2 metres distance from anyone not in your household and wash your hands regularly. If you have symptoms, please follow the NHS advice, and get a test.
Time and again throughout this crisis, the people of the UK have acted to protect each other, we, now all need to act to do so again.
Stay safe, stay at home, and help us all to get through the coming months.