New National Restrictions from 5 November resolutions.

COVID-19 case numbers are rising rapidly across the whole of the UK and in other countries. We must act now to control the spread of the virus. The single most important action we can all take to fight coronavirus is to stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.

When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we reduce the spread of the infection. That is why, from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December, you must:

Stay at home, except for specific purposes.

Avoid meeting people you do not live with, except for specific purposes.

Close certain businesses and venues.

These new measures will reduce the growth rate of the virus, which will: prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed ensure schools, colleges and universities can stay open ensure that as many people as possible can continue to work. On Thursday 5 November these national restrictions replaced the Local Covid Alert Level measures.

The new measures will apply nationally for four weeks up to and including Wednesday 2 December. At the end of that period, we will return to a regional approach, based on the latest data.

These measures will be underpinned by law. Police and other authorities will have powers to give fines and break up gatherings.

You can help to protect your friends and family by downloading the NHS COVID-19 App to keep updated on the latest guidance from Thursday 5 November.

The information for this blog entry has been taken directly from the Government's website.