The government has updated and clarified the rules for Bolton. The government announcement for other parts of the North West is separate to the measures applied to Bolton.
If you live in the borough, you must not:
- host people you do not live with in your home or garden, unless they’re in your support bubble
- meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of Bolton, unless they’re in your support bubble
In addition to these restrictions, people must not meet in a group of more than six outdoors and they advise that residents should not:
- socialise with people you do not live with, unless they’re in your support bubble, in any public venue. This applies to inside and outside of Bolton. Examples of public venues include pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions
- visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances. Care homes should restrict visits to these circumstances
The government has also advised that the following settings and activities should not reopen or restart in Bolton:
- indoor performances
- close contact services, which are any treatments on the face such as eyebrow threading or make-up application
Dr Helen Lowey, Director of Public Health for Bolton Council, said: “We need to stop the spread of the virus and the best way is to reduce the number of contacts.
“People have asked why can’t they meet their friends and family but can sit in work or travel on public transport with strangers, and it is an important question to answer.
“It’s very natural to want to be close to the people you care about and this is what makes it so difficult to maintain physical distancing when you meet your friends and family.
“Workplaces and other venues however have risk assessments and measures put in place to limit the risk of the virus transmitting.
“We also know how hard it has been for our beauty industry where it is still too risky to give permission for them to open. It is still strongly advised for them to not offer close contact services, and we hope as time progresses this will be relaxed further.”
“As the local infection rate rises, we also have to ensure care home residents are kept safe, and our care homes are continuing to restrict visits. We know how difficult it has been but providers are going above and beyond to help people stay in touch.”
Hospitality rules remain in place, and all venues – pubs, restaurants, cafes, any premises serving food and drink - are restricted to take away only.
Businesses must close to customers between 10pm and 5am apart from certain exemptions.
The full guidance document is available on the government’s website.