Tier 2

This is for areas with a higher or rapidly rising level of infections, where some additional restrictions need to be in place. 

Meeting family and friends

Meeting indoors

You can only meet socially with friends and family indoors who you either:

• live with
• have formed a support bubble with

Unless a legal exemption applies.

‘Indoors’ means any indoor setting, including: private homes or other indoor venues such as pubs and restaurants

Meeting outdoors

You can see friends and family you do not live with (or do not have a support bubble with) outdoors, in a group of no more than 6. This limit of 6 includes children of any age. ‘Outdoors’ means in a private garden or other outdoor space.

You can continue to meet in a group larger than 6 if you are all from the same household or support bubble or another legal exemption applies.

 

Support and childcare bubbles

There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles across all tiers. Support bubbles have been expanded. From 2 December you can form a support bubble with another household if any of the following apply to you:

• you are the only adult in your household – any other members of the household having been under 18 on 12 June 2020 – or are an under-18-year-old living alone.
• you live with someone with a disability who requires continuous care and there is no other adult living in the household
• you live with a child who is under 1, or who was under 1 on 2 December 2020
• you live with a child who is under 5, or who was under 5 on 2 December 2020, with a disability

 

Meeting in larger groups

There are some exceptions where people can continue to gather indoors, or in groups larger than 6 outdoors. For more information please visit Tier 2 Government guidance page.

 

Business and venues

All businesses and venues should follow COVID-secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and workers.

Restrictions on businesses and venues in Tier 2 areas include but are not limited to:

• businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-Secure manner, other than those which remain closed by law, such as nightclubs
• pubs and bars must close, unless operating as restaurants. Hospitality venues can only serve alcohol with substantial meals
• hospitality businesses selling food or drink for consumption on their premises are required to:
  • provide table service only, in premises which sell alcohol
  • close between 11pm and 5am (hospitality venues in airports, ports, transport services and motorway service areas are exempt)
  • stop taking orders after 10pm
• hospitality businesses and venues selling food and drink for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-through
• public attendance at outdoor and indoor events (performances and shows) is permitted, limited to whichever is lower: 50% capacity, or either 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors
• public attendance at spectator sport and business events can resume inside and outside, subject to social contact rules and limited to whichever is lower: 50% capacity, or either 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors
• places of worship remain open but you must not socialise with people from outside of your household or support bubble while you are indoors there, unless a legal exemption applies
• weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on numbers of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies and receptions, 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies.
• organised outdoor sport, and physical activity and exercise classes can continue
• organised indoor sport, physical activity and exercise classes will only be permitted if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with (or share a support bubble with). There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s, which can take place with larger groups mixing
• you can continue to travel to venues or amenities which are open, but should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible
• if you live in a tier 2 area, you must continue to follow tier 2 rules when you travel to a tier 1 area. Avoid travel to or overnight stays in tier 3 areas other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. You can travel through a tier 3 area as a part of a longer journey
• for international travel see the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice for your destination and the travel corridors list

 

You must

• wear a face covering in those areas where this is mandated

 

You should continue to:

• follow social distancing rules
• work from home where you can effectively do so
• when travelling, plan ahead or avoid busy times and routes; walk or cycle if you can

For more detail on the risk rules and specific exemptions visit the Government’s website.

Download this poster as a handy reminder of the restrictions. 

 

Local covid alert postcode checker

Residents can check the local coronavirus figures on the Leicestershire County Council website or use the Government’s local postcode checker to check the Covid alert level in their area.

Please note that in a handful of postcode areas that are on local authority area boundaries, the postcode checker may not show the correct level. If in doubt, please check your council tax bill to see which council you pay your council tax to and visit that council’s website.

 

It's really important that we all play our part in reducing the spread. Remember, ‘Hands. Face. Space’:

• Hands: wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
• Face: wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet
• Space: stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings)

When meeting people you do not live with, it is important to do so outdoors where possible, or to make sure that any indoor venue has good ventilation (for example by opening windows so that fresh air can enter).