Coronavirus

Christmas Bubbles

Following the announcement from Government at the weekend, you can form a Christmas bubble of up to three households (including your own) on Friday, 25 December only. These must be the same three households during that time and they should not change. You can visit the homes of people in your Christmas bubble. You can meet your Christmas bubble in private homes and gardens, places of worship and public outdoor spaces. However you must still follow the rules in the local area in which you are staying.

We advise residents to think carefully about the risks of forming a bubble with elderly relatives and the vulnerable. Just because you can see family members, it doesn’t mean you have to. If a member of your Christmas bubble tests positive or develops symptoms, or up to 48 hours after members of the bubble last met, you should all self-isolate.

When meeting your Christmas bubble you should take these measures to prevent the spread of the virus:

wash your hands frequently
clean touch points regularly, such as door handles and surfaces

If you are only visiting someone for a short time, you should:

keep socially distanced from anybody you do not live with as much as possible
make sure you let as much fresh air in as you can during a visit and after visitors have left by opening windows and doors

It is extremely important to stress that these relaxed ‘Christmas Bubble’ rules do not come into play until 25 December and will be in place for this day only. We should all continue to follow the Local COVID Alert Level rules until this point and from 26 December.

The Government announced new national restrictions that came into force at 00.01am on Wednesday 2 December 2020.

Stoke-on-Trent has entered into tier three coronavirus restrictions, the restrictions mean that the city, along with many other parts of the country including Staffordshire, is on very high alert.

In tier 3:

you must not meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble, this includes in any private garden or at most outdoor venues
you must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in some other outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, a public garden, grounds of a heritage site or castle, or a sports facility – this is called the ‘rule of 6’
hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha venues), pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed – they are permitted to continue sales by takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services.
accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and guest houses must close. There are several exemptions, such as for those who use these venues as their main residence, and those requiring the venues where it is reasonably necessary for work or education and training
indoor entertainment and tourist venues must close.
indoor attractions at mostly outdoor entertainment venues must also close (indoor shops, through-ways and public toilets at such attractions can remain open).
leisure and sports facilities may continue to stay open, but group exercise classes (including fitness and dance) should not go ahead. Saunas and steam rooms should close
there should be no public attendance at spectator sport or indoor performances and large business events should not be taking place. Elite sport events may continue to take place without spectators
large outdoor events (performances and shows) should not take place, with the exception of drive-in events
places of worship remain open, but you must not attend with or socialise with anyone outside of your household or support bubble while you are there, unless a legal exemption applies
Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions are not allowed, 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies, 15 people can attend linked commemorative events
organised outdoor sport, and physical activity and exercise classes can continue, however higher-risk contact activity should not take place
organised indoor sport, physical activity and exercise classes cannot take place indoors. There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s
you can continue to travel to venues or amenities which are open, but should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible
avoid travelling to other parts of the UK, including for overnight stays other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. You can travel through other areas as part of a longer journey
for international travel see the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice for your destination and the travel corridors list