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Boris Johnson has urged people to limit social contact as much as possible, he has confirmed that the ban on gatherings of more than six people in England will take effect from Monday.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister admitted that coronavirus the rules had become “complicated and confusing.”
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He said this latest movement, the biggest crackdown since COVID-19 The lockdown was eased earlier this summer, aimed at “simplifying and strengthening the rules” and “making them easier for everyone to understand.”
“They should not meet socially in groups of more than six,” Johnson said.
He added: “The ban will be established in law and the police will enforce it; anyone who breaks the rules runs the risk of being dispersed, fined and possibly arrested.”
The ban will apply to indoor and outdoor gatherings, including private homes, parks, pubs, and restaurants.
Meetings will continue to be allowed when the family or support bubble is greater than six, or when the meeting is for work or education reasons.
Weddings, funerals, and organized team sports will also be exempt.
The prime minister said that “COVID-safe” places like places of worship, gyms, restaurants and places of hospitality will still be able to house more than six people in total.
But within those places, there should be no individual groups larger than six and the groups cannot mix socially or form larger groups.
Johnson also revealed:
- Venues and social venues, including pubs and restaurants, will now be legally required to request customer tracking and testing information and retain details for 21 days.
- Marshals to be recruited to help ensure social distancing is maintained in city centers
- The Border Force will intensify the application of quarantine rules for travelers to the country
- Sports and entertainment event drivers will be reviewed.
- The government is “working hard” to increase testing capacity to 500,000 per day.
Before the prime minister’s speech, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the number of coronavirus cases was “increasing dramatically” in the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups.
It comes after the number of daily positive coronavirus cases in the UK rose to nearly 3,000, numbers not seen since May.
A total of 2,460 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in the UK on Tuesday, down from 2,948 on Monday and 2,988 on Sunday.
Presenting data from other European countries, Professor Whitty said it was vital to act “quickly and decisively” when cases increase.
