Coronavirus (Covid-19)

You can meet up to six people or two households indoors (including a support bubble if eligible). You can meet up to 30 people outdoors.

New guidance on meeting friends and family emphasises personal responsibility rather than government rules. You are no longer instructed to stay two metres apart from anyone you don’t live with, but you are encouraged to exercise caution and consider the guidance on risks associated with COVID-19 and actions you can take to help keep you and your loved ones safe. Remember that the risks of close contact may be greater for some people than others and in some settings and circumstances, there will be specific guidance that you will need to follow even when you are with friends and family.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable, you are no longer advised to shield. However, you should continue to follow the guidance for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable and are advised to take additional precautions to protect yourself.

Further detailed government guidance is available on the Gov.uk website.

• indoor entertainment and attractions such as cinemas, theatres, concert halls, bowling alleys, casinos, amusement arcades, museums and children’s indoor play areas will be permitted to open with COVID-secure measures in place
• you will be able to attend indoor and outdoor events, including live performances, sporting events and business events. Attendance at these events will be capped according to venue type, and attendees should follow the COVID-secure measures set out by those venues
• indoor hospitality venues such as restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes can reopen
• organised indoor sport will be able to take place for all (this includes gym classes). This must be organised by a business, charity or public body and the organiser must take reasonable measures to reduce the risk of transmission.
• all holiday accommodation will be open (including hotels and B&Bs). This can be used by groups of up to 6 or 2 households (each household can include a support bubble, if eligible)
• funeral attendance is no longer be limited to 30 people, but will be determined by how many people the COVID-secure venue can safely accommodate with social distancing. Limits at weddings, wakes, bar/bat mitzvahs and christenings and other commemorative events will be determined by how many people a venue can safely accommodate with social distancing measures in place, including guests of all ages and anyone working at the event
• the rules for care home residents visiting out and receiving visitors will change, allowing up to five named visitors (two at any one time), provided visitors test negative for COVID-19
• all higher education students will be able to access in-person teaching
• support groups and parent and child group gathering limits will increase to 30 people (not including under 5s)
• there is no longer a legal restriction or permitted reason required to travel internationally. There will be a traffic light system for international travel, and you must follow the rules when returning to England depending on whether you return from a red, amber or green list country.

Two types of testing are available in North Lincolnshire:

COVID-19 Local Testing Sites are available to anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19, including a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss or change in your sense of smell or taste.

A range of other options are available for other groups of people without symptoms. Everyone is now eligible for free – at home lateral home tests which are vital for discovering Covid positive cases in people who do not know they have the disease. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people do not show coronavirus symptoms so being tested twice weekly will help stop the spread of the virus.

• Workplace testing: Employers can offer testing in the workplace. This includes testing sites, where you can take a supervised test, and workplace collect, where you can pick up a box of tests to use at home. If your employer offers workplace testing, this is still the best route for you to access rapid tests.
• Community testing: We have two local community testing venues, one in Brigg and one in Scunthorpe. Anyone over the age of 16 can get a free supervised test as part of a twice weekly testing programme. You will need to book a appointment for a test in advance. Please use the PIN 1111.
• Community Collect: Anyone over the age of 16 including school support bubbles can collect home testing kits via our Community Collect service from six of our community based venues – Baysgarth Community Hub, Ancholme Leisure Centre, The Pods Leisure Centre, Axholme North Leisure Centre, Epworth Leisure Centre and Ashby Community Hub. Please check the current opening times at the venues before you travel.
• NHS Test & Trace sites: These are across the country and operate as symptomatic testing sites in the morning but are currently providing an afternoon collect option, where you can pick up a box of tests to use at home. In North Lincolnshire the NHS Test and Trace site is at Centenary Way, Scunthorpe, DN16 1AB. Find your local collection site.
• Pharmacy collect: Thousands of pharmacies across England have signed up to offer pharmacy collect. This means you can pick up a box of tests to use at home. Find a pharmacy near you that offer pharmacy collect.
• Education: Secondary and college students are already being given tests to use at home twice a week, throughout term time and the holidays.  School pupil support bubbles are encouraged to test themselves at home twice-weekly in order to identify Covid-19 cases quickly and break the chain of transmission. School pupil support bubbles can collect home testing kits from the NHS Test and Trace site at Centenary Way, Scunthorpe, DN16 1AB and are also able to collect home testing kits from our Community Collect service at the six venues listed above.
• LFD Direct: For people who can’t access tests through the other routes, you can order a box of tests online or telephone 119, and the tests will be delivered to your home.

National lateral flow testing scheme – testing in the workplace

Businesses can order free rapid lateral flow tests to test their employees twice a week in the workplace, if they cannot work from home. This scheme is available for limited companies and registered charities, with ten or more employees.

Businesses will need to know their companies house registration number before starting this process.

If businesses have 50 or more employees, they will be directed straight to the company house reference number page.

If businesses have less than 50 employees, they will be presented with two options: “Find a local testing site” or “I would still like to register for National Workplace Testing”, they will need to select the register for National Workplace Testing option, and then continue with the form.

The deadline to register for this scheme is 12 April 2021

To register for this scheme please visit Gov.uk

National lateral flow testing scheme – employee home testing

This scheme is due to launch in early April and will only be available to businesses with more than ten employees.

Businesses will be able to order rapid lateral flow tests for employees to test themselves, twice a week in their own homes. These tests will be sent to the workplace, for businesses to hand out.

Further information will be available in the coming weeks, so please keep checking Gov.uk or the Invest In North Lincolnshire website.

COVID-19 vaccination information

• COVID-19 vaccination – a guide for older adults  – an easy read version and guides in other languages also available
• COVID-19 vaccination – a guide for childbearing, pregnant or breastfeeding women – an easy read version and guides in other languages also available
• What to expect after your vaccination – an easy read version and guides in other languages also available
• NHS England Learning Disability and Autism Programme have produced an information about vaccines video for people with a learning disability and their carers.

Coronavirus vaccine information in other languages?

Local GPs across the Humber, Coast and Vale areas have filmed an important message in multiple languages to encourage vaccine confidence and dispel vaccine myths and misinformation. The videos are available in several languages on YouTube and more languages will be added shortly.

North Lincolnshire Council’s point of contact is Nolan Bennett, who can be contacted at CV-19Vaccinations@northlincs.gov.uk

Further information about eligibility for the vaccination can be accessed in the following documents:

• COVID-19 vaccine deployment programme and
• COVID-19 – SARS-CoV-2

By following this guidance we can ensure that that the priority groups of people identified by the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI) get the vaccine they need.

During challenging times, it’s really important we look after ourselves and those around us. This includes our physical health and just as importantly, our mental wellbeing.

There are five steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.

Step one – 8 March

• Schools and colleges will open for all students. Practical higher education courses
• Recreation or exercise outdoors with your household or one other person. No mixing indoors
• Wraparound childcare
• Funerals, maximum of 30 people. Wakes and weddings, maximum 6 people

29 March

• Rule of 6 or two households can meet outdoors. No household mixing indoors
• Outdoor sport and leisure facilities can reopen
• Organised sport allowed for children and adults
• Minimise travel, no holidays
• Outdoor parent and child groups can open (maximum of 15 parents).

At least five weeks after step one, and no earlier than 12 April:

• Indoor leisure (including gyms) open for use individually or within household groups
• Rule of six or two households can meet outdoors. No household mixing indoors
• Outdoor attractions, such as zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas
• Libraries and community centres
• Personal care premises
• All retail
• Outdoor hospitality
• All children’s activities, indoor parent and child groups (up to 15 parents)
• Domestic overnight stays (household only)
• Self-contained accommodation (household only)
• Funerals (maximum of 30) wakes, weddings and receptions (maximum of 15)
• minimise travel. No international holidays
• Event pilots will begin.

At least five weeks after step two, no earlier than 17 May

• Indoor entertainment and attractions
• Outdoors groups of 30 maximum can meet. Rule of six indoors or two households (subject to review)
• Domestic overnight stays
• Organised indoor adult sport
• Most significant life events can take place (maximum 30 people)
• Remaining outdoor entertainment (including performances)
• Remaining accommodation
• Some large events (except of pilots) – capacity limits will apply. Indoor events – maximum 1,000 or 50 per cent capacity. Outdoor other events – 4,000 or 50 per cent. Outdoor seated events – 10,000 0r 25 per cent
• International travel – subject to review

At least five weeks after step three, no earlier than 21 June.

By step four, the Government hopes to be able to introduce the following (subject to review):

• No legal limits on social contact
• Nightclubs
• Larger events
• No legal limit on all life events.

For information and guidance for children and families please view the information on the following pages:

• Support for children and families
• Support for young carers
• What the coronavirus national lockdown restrictions mean to families in North Lincolnshire 

Below are useful links to guidance for people who use social care services, carers and social care providers:

• Providing unpaid care
• Guidance for people receiving direct payments
• Providing home care
• Supporting people outside of their home
• Supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults
• Looking after people who lack mental capacity
• Supported living services during COVID-19
• Care home visiting guidance
• North Lincolnshire care home support plan
• Admission and care of people in care homes
• How to work safely in care homes
• How to work safely in domiciliary care
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) local contacts for care providers

• Read the latest guidance for businesses and venues on the Government website.

The government has published guidance for food businesses in relation to Covid-19. This includes information on:

• maintaining social distancing
• food hygiene
• managing employee sickness

Additional guidance is also provided by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

• Read the guidance for landlords and tenants in full at the Government website.

• Read the latest guidance for schools and educational settings on the Government website.