England national lockdown from 5 November 2020 till 2 December 2020 starting today. People in England must follow the national restrictions implemented by the government as follows:
National restrictions during the national lockdown from 5 November 2020
Meeting indoors
You cannot meet anybody socially indoors unless they are in your household or support bubble.
Meeting outdoors
You can meet with 1 person from another household in outdoor public spaces, following social distancing. Children under 5 and anyone dependent on continuous care do not count towards the 2 person limit.
Weddings and funerals
Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies can only take place where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover. Funerals can take place with up to 30 people in attendance.
Working from home
You must work from home if you can. If you cannot work from home you should continue to go to work (unless you are clinically extremely vulnerable).
Essential shops
Open. Essential retail should follow COVID-Secure guidelines.
Non-essential Retail
Closed. Can only open for click-and-collect and delivery services.
Exercise
You can exercise outside on your own or with your household; your support bubble; or one person from another household.
Leisure and gyms
Closed, except for allotments and outdoor playgrounds.
Hospitality
Closed except for takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through and other delivery services. Takeaway not permitted after 22:00.
Education
Early years, schools and FE colleges open. Universities must reflect wider restrictions.
Healthcare services
You can leave home for any medical reason.
Residential care
Care homes are encouraged to provide safe, COVID-secure visiting opportunities. See the guidance for details on how to keep visits safe.
Travel
You must not travel in the UK or overseas other than for permitted reasons, including work, education, medical reasons, caring responsibilities or for essential retail.
Public transport
You may still use public transport but should only travel for permitted reasons and should look to reduce the number of journeys you make, avoid travelling at peak times and walk or cycle where you can.
Overnight stays
Overnight stays and holidays away from primary residences are not allowed, except for work and other educational purposes.
Entertainment and tourism
Entertainment venues are closed. Public gardens at visitor attractions are open.
Vulnerable people
If you are 60+ or clinically vulnerable, be especially careful to follow the rules and minimise contacts with others. If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you are advised to stay at home as much as possible, except to go outdoors for exercise or to attend essential health appointments.
Worship
Closed. Except for: funerals, broadcasting acts of worship, and individual prayer.
Childcare
Registered childcare and childcare activities open to enable parents to work, or for respite care. Parents can form a childcare bubble with another household for informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under.
Youth clubs and activities
Some youth services are able to continue, such as 1:1 youth work and support groups, but most youth clubs and groups will need to cease for this period.
Download national restrictions poster
You may download the England national lockdown 5 November 2020 to 2 December 2020 national restrictions poster here.
Businesses to close during England national lockdown from 5 November 2020
Businesses and venues must close or open with restrictions apply to reduce social contact.
Non essential retails
Non-essential retail, such as clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms (other than for rental), betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, and market stalls selling non-essential goods. These venues can continue to be able to operate click-and-collect (where goods are pre-ordered and collected off the premises) and delivery services.
Cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars
Hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs; with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway (before 10pm; and not including alcohol), click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery
Accommodation such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites. Except for specific circumstances, such as where these act as someone’s main residence, where they cannot return home, for homeless people, or where it is essential to stay there for work purposes.
Leisure and sports facilities
Leisure and sports facilities such as leisure centres and gyms, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, golf courses, fitness and dance studios, climbing walls, archery, driving, and shooting ranges.
Cinemas, theatres, arcades, museums etc.
Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, go-karting venues, soft play centres and areas, circuses, funfairs, zoos and other animal attractions, water parks, theme parks.
Botanical gardens, heritage homes
Indoor attractions at botanical gardens, heritage homes and landmarks must also close, though outdoor grounds of these premises can stay open.
Hair and nails salons
Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons. Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must also close. It is also prohibited to provide these services in other peoples’ homes.
Community centres
Community centres and halls must close except for a limited number of exempt activities as set out below Libraries can also remain open to provide access to IT and digital services – for example for people who do not have it at home – and for click-and-collect.
Churches and mosques
Places of worship, apart from for the purposes of independent prayer, and service broadcasting and funerals.
Businesses can open with exempt activities
These businesses and places will also be permitted to be open for a small number of exempt activities, including:
- Education and training (including for schools to use sports and leisure facilities where that it part of their normal provision).
- Childcare purposes and supervised activities for children.
- Blood donation and food banks.
- To provide medical treatment.
- For elite sports persons (in indoor and outdoor sports facilities), professional dancers and choreographers (in fitness and dance studios).
- For training and rehearsal without an audience (in theatres and concert halls) and for the purposes of professional film and TV filming.
Businesses and venues which can remain open
Other businesses are permitted to stay open, following COVID-19 Secure guidelines. This includes those providing essential goods or services, including:
- Essential retail such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, hardware stores, building merchants and off-licences.
- Petrol Stations, car repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses.
- Banks, building societies, post offices, loan providers and money transfer businesses
- Funeral directors
- Launderettes and dry cleaners
- Medical and dental services
- Vets and pet shops
- Agricultural supplies shops
- Storage and distribution facilities
- Car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas.
- Outdoor playgrounds
Companies House filings
You can submit your company documents to Companies House online. You would require your company’s authentication code to do so. The authentication code is the electronic equivalent of your company’s director(s) signatures. Hence, you must keep it safe.
The documents you can file online includes:
- Confirmation statement
- Company accounts
- Events driven filings i.e appoint a new director or change of your registered office address.
- Closing down your company.
Companies House has also created an interim paperless filing service to accept documents which would normally require a live signature during COVID-19 pandemic. You can easily upload your documents to the Companies House website.
If you require help with your company’s filings, contact our accountants. They will be more than happy to assist you.
