On Thursday 5 November a new national lockdown came into force for Maidstone and England. The government has said the lockdown will last until Wednesday 2 December.
Non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues will all be closed. Click and collect services and essential shops, including supermarkets, will remain open. Pubs, bars, restaurants must close, except for takeaway and delivery services.
You should work at home if possible. If you have to return to your workplace, your employer must make arrangements for you to work safely.
Stay home
Everyone in Maidstone should stay at home except for specific reasons including:
- education
- work, if you cannot work from home
- exercise and recreation outdoors, with your household, support bubble or on your own with one person from another household (children under school age, as well as those dependent on round-the-clock care, such as those with severe disabilities, who are with their parents will not count towards the limit on two people meeting outside).
- all medical reasons, appointments and to escape injury or harm
- shopping for food and essentials
- providing care for vulnerable people, or as a volunteer
Friends and Family
- You should not mix socially indoors, or in a private garden, with anyone who is not part of your household or support bubble. (A support bubble is when a person living alone or with children under 18 joins another household).
- You can meet one other person at a time from another household, in an outdoors public place (such as a park, a street, countryside, an allotment or a children’s playground).
Lockdown Rules
- You are not allowed to stay overnight away from your home, whether on holiday, in a second home or caravan, or with anyone you do not live with, or are in a support bubble with.
- You can still move home, but people outside your household or support bubble should not help with moving house unless absolutely necessary.
- You can leave home to visit someone who is giving birth or dying, to avoid or escape risk of injury or harm (such as domestic abuse), to visit someone in a care home, hospice or hospital, to go with them to a medical appointment, or to go to the vets (or other animal welfare services).
- Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies cannot take place except where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover. These weddings are limited to six people.
- Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. Linked ceremonial events can continue with up to 15 people.
- Apart from funerals, places of worship will only be open to allow individual prayer or services to be broadcast to the congregation.
