Face masks, leaving home, socialising: How the coronavirus regulations kept altering
Face masks (total changes 10, all changes below)
11/5/20 – The public is advised to consider wearing face coverings in enclosed public spaces such as shops, trains and buses to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
15/6/20 – Face coverings become mandatory on public transport.
15/6/20 – All staff in hospitals in England will be provided with surgical masks which they will be expected to wear. All visitors and outpatients must wear face coverings at all times.
11/06/20 – Passengers must wear a face covering on board an aircraft in England, and should wear one in airports.
24/7/20 – Face coverings mandatory in shops, supermarkets, shopping centres, transport hubs, banks, building societies and post offices.
8/8/20 – Face coverings made mandatory (see video below) for indoor settings where you are likely to come into contact with people you do not normally meet, such as museums, galleries, cinemas and places of worship.
13/8/20 – All staff offering close contact services, including hairdressers, should now wear a face mask (type 2 surgical), in addition to a clear visor that covers the face.
24/08/20 – Downing Street and Education Secretary say "no plans for face coverings in schools", which has been policy since face coverings were introduced in May.
16/08/20 – Government U-turns on face masks in schools and follows WHO guidance advising face coverings should be worn in indoor communal areas where "social distancing cannot be safely managed".
24/9/20 – Customers in private hire vehicles and taxis, hospitality venues – except when seated to eat or drink – and staff in hospitality and retail settings, must wear face coverings.
Self-isolation rules (total changes 13, major changes below)
10/02/20 – Government introduces legal powers to detain people at risk of spreading Covid-19 under the Health Protection Regulations.
12/3/20 – People with symptoms told to stay at home for seven days from when the symptoms appeared and that they do not need to be tested.
16/3/20 – Anyone in a household with symptoms must now stay home for 14 days, except for exercise and those who can't receive deliveries at home.
21/3/20 – Those with the most serious health conditions asked to shield from social contact for around 12 weeks.
18/5/20 – Loss of taste and smell added to the list of coronavirus symptoms. Anyone experiencing these symptoms, or a new cough or high temperature, must isolate for seven days.
28/5/20 – NHS Test and Trace launched: Anyone with a positive Covid-19 test must share their close contacts, who will be contacted and told to self-isolate for 14 days.
1/6/20 – 2.2 million people shielding in England to be able to spend time outdoors.
6/7/20 – Those in the shielding group will be able to create "support bubbles" (see video below) with one other household, and meet groups of up to six others outdoors while maintaining social distance.
30/7/20 – Self-isolation period extended from seven to 10 days for those in the community who have coronavirus symptoms or a positive test result.
1/8/20 – Those in the shielding group no longer need to self-isolate.
Going out (Total changes 20, major changes below)
16/3/20 – Prime Minister tells the public to avoid pubs, clubs, cinemas and restaurants, and that the Government is withdrawing support for mass gatherings.
20/3/20 – Entertainment, hospitality and indoor leisure premises told to close from the end of trading hours, including all pubs, bars and restaurants.
22/6/20 – Outdoor attractions where people can stay in their cars, such as safari parks and drive-in cinemas, reopen.
04/07/20 – The public can now visit pubs, bars, restaurants and hairdressers. Anyone visiting hospitality venues must provide their details for Test and Trace.
18/7/20 – Bars, restaurants, and hairdressers, can open in the Leicester area after the city was placed in a regional lockdown at the end of June following a surge in cases.
11/07/20 – Performing arts can now take place outdoors with a socially distanced audience present. This includes outdoor theatres, opera, dance and music.
25/7/20 – Indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities to reopen following the reopening of outdoor pools on July 11.
18/9/20 – (Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and County Durham) – Food and drink businesses will be restricted to table service only and, along with leisure and entertainment venues, required to close between 10pm and 5am (watch reaction to the restrictions in Newcastle below).
22/9/20 – (Lancashire, excluding Blackpool and Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Warrington and Halton) – Hospitality will be restricted to table service only and leisure and entertainment venues required to close between 10pm and 5am after a spike in cases.
24/9/20 – Hospitality and entertainment businesses, including pubs and restaurants, must be closed between 10pm and 5am.
Holidays and travel (Total changes 37, major changes below)
10/3/20 – Travellers returning from Wuhan or Hubei provinces, Iran, Daegu or Cheongdo in Korea, and Italy, must self-isolate and call 111. This advice was withdrawn three days later.
12/03/20 – People in their 70s, and those with pre-existing health conditions, are advised against cruise ship travel.
15/3/20 – The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the whole of Spain after cases surge.
16/3/20 – The public are told to avoid all unnecessary travel in the UK.
17/3/20 – The FCO advises against all non-essential worldwide travel for at least 30 days.
22/03/20 – Additional guidance published, stating that essential UK travel does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar.
04/07/20 – Public can enjoy "staycations" in England with the reopening of accommodation sites.
10/7/20 – The creation of "travel corridors", and the removal of the FCO's global advisory against "all but essential" travel. Passengers returning from Germany, France, Spain and Italy do not need to isolate.
26/7/20 – Spain is removed from the exempt list for arrivals, meaning all returning holidaymakers must now isolate for 14 days (see reaction to the decision nin the video below).
18/9/20 – (Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and County Durham) – People are told to only take holidays within their own household or support bubble.
Socialising (Total changes 35, major changes below)
16/3/20 – Boris Johnson advises against all unnecessary social contact with others.
22/3/20 – The Prime Minister introduces the two-metre rule.
23/3/20 – The public are told to stay at home and stop all social gatherings.
10/5/20 – People can now meet one person outside their household outdoors, provided they stay two metres apart.
1/6/20 – Public can now spend time outdoors in groups of up to six people from different households, including in private gardens.
20/6/20 – Support bubbles are created: Single adult households can form a support bubble with one other household, meaning they can spend time in each others’ homes and you do not need to stay two metres away.
04/07/20 – Two households can now meet at the same time, including staying over and spending time indoors. The maximum number of people who can meet is 30.
30/7/20 – (The Greater Manchester area, Pendle, Hyndburn, Burnley, Rossendale, Blackburn with Darwen, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees) – People in these areas are no longer permitted to mix with any other households in private homes or gardens.
14/09/20 – "Rule of six": People cannot meet with other households socially in groups of more than six. This applies indoors and outdoors, including private homes.
24/9/20 – Support groups are now limited to 15 people, and indoor sport for over-18s must now also abide by the "rule of six" (see video below).
Open for business (Total changes 27, major changes included)
10/5/20 – Planned phased reopening of shops, the hospitality industry and other public places, after they were closed on March 23.
13/5/20 – Garden centres reopen.
15/6/20 – Places of worship across England will be permitted to reopen for individual prayer.
15/6/20 – Shops in England selling non-essential goods can reopen.
30/6/20 – (Leicester area) – Non-essential shops that reopened on June 15 to close and bars, restaurants and hairdressers will not reopen on July 4.
04/07/20 – Hospitality and entertainment venues can reopen, including cinemas, museums, galleries, pubs, restaurants and cafes.
13/7/20 – Beauty salons, nail bars, tattoo and massage studios, physical therapy businesses and spas across England reopen.
1/8/20 – The reopening of casinos, bowling alleys and skating rinks.will not be permitted to go ahead as planned after cases surge.
15/8/20 – Reopenings planned for August 1 can now go ahead, with indoor theatres, music and performance venues able to reopen with socially-distanced audiences.
15/9/20 – One month after the rest of England, Leicester's restrictions are lifted, allowing casinos, skating rinks, bowling alleys, and indoor play areas to reopen.
24/9/20 – Businesses will need to display the official NHS QR code posters so customers can sign up to Test and Trace (watch Matt Hancock urging people to download the app in the video below). Leisure and entertainment venues failing to meet Covid-19 requirements will be subject to £10,000 fines.
Schools and offices (Total changes 21, major changes included)
16/3/20 – The Prime Minister tells people to work from home if possible.
20/3/20 – Schools, private schools and nurseries to close until further notice for "vast majority" of pupils.
10/5/20 – Government sets out "roadmap to recovery", and those who cannot work from home are encouraged to speak to their employer about returning.
25/05/20 – Schools told to prepare for return (see pupils' reactions to life at school during the pandemic in the video below), with primary schools expected to welcome back children in Reception, Year One and Year Six from June 1 and secondaries to bring back Year 10 and 12 from June 15.
01/06/20 – Public told they should go to work if they cannot work from home and their business has not been required to close by law.
03/06/20 – Higher education establishments told they are expected to be open for the academic year 2020-21.
30/6/20 – All schools in the Leicester area told to close from Thursday July 2 and not reopen until September due to a surge in virus cases.
17/07/20 – Government says it will give employers more "discretion" on whether to open offices, signalling a push to get people back to work.
22/9/20 – Grandparents are now exempt from local lockdown rules if they are providing childcare.
24/9/20 – Boris Johnson tells workers to return to working from home if possible.
The cost of disobedience (total changes seven, all changes included)
23/3/20 – Police given powers to issue spot fines of £30 to anyone gathering in defiance of lockdown rules.
26/03/20 – Government creates Health Protection Regulations 2020 which include restrictions on movement, gatherings and the enforcement of rules during the emergency period
22/04/20 – Amendment is made to the Health Protection Regulations including making it an offence to be outside your home without a "reasonable excuse".
22/5/20 – Travel quarantines put in place for people returning from at-risk countries. Those failing to self-isolate for 14 days will be subject to £1,000 fine.
13/8/20 – Government steps up punishment for those breaking restrictions. Fines for people who repeatedly fail to wear face coverings where required will double to a maximum of £3,200.
28/08/20 – Police given powers to fine organisers of illegal gatherings of more than 30 people up to £10,000 (as detailed in the video below).
28/9/20 – Fines for people failing to self-isolate if they have Covid-19 could now rise £10,000 for repeat offenders, the Prime Minister announces.
Life events (Total changes nine, major changes included)
27/3/20 – Home buyers and renters are told to delay moving while emergency measures are in place.
31/3/20 – After families were prevented from attending the funerals of loved ones, guidance is issued to funeral directors and faith leaders to allow mourners to attend, keeping a two-metre distance.
19/4/20 – Funeral guidance is issued, stating that attendance should be limited and relative to the size of the venue, and social distancing must be observed.
13/5/20 – Anyone in England can now move home as long as health guidance can be followed. This applies to both renters and buyers.
17/07/20 – Government publishes more advice about easing restrictions from August 1 to reopen remaining leisure settings and enable wedding receptions of up to 30 people.
31/7/20 – Wedding receptions of up to 30 people no longer allowed from August 1 after a surge in infections.
15/8/20 – Wedding receptions can now go ahead for up to 30 people.
24/9/20 – Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies and receptions will be restricted to a maximum of 15 people.
Leaving the house (total changes 13, major changes included)
16/3/20 – The Prime Minister tells the public to avoid all unnecessary travel.
23/3/20 – Full lockdown comes into effect and the public are told to stay home and only exercise once per day.
27/03/20 – Guidance is issued that people should stay within their local area to exercise.
13/5/20 – People are now allowed to spend unlimited time outdoors exercising, and restrictions on distance are also removed.
15/5/20 – Public now allowed to go swimming in the sea or lakes, but not in indoor or outdoor pools.
01/06/20 – You can now spend time in the private gardens of other people.
30/6/20 – People in Leicester are recommended to stay home as much as possible as coronavirus cases rise.
21/9/20 – As of September 21, residents in Leicester City, Oadby and Wigston are still banned from hosting other households, but are now permitted to travel, including going on holiday outside the area.
