After discussion with Government, Bradford District, alongside all other West Yorkshire authorities, will become a Tier 3 “Very High Alert Level” area from Monday. This means that from one minute past midnight on Monday 2 November the district will be under the strictest set of restrictions. This is because of the high rate of infection and the need to tackle the spread of Covid-19. Bradford Council have outlined what the new restrictions mean::
People must not meet socially with friends and family indoors in any setting unless they are part of their household or support bubble. This includes private homes and indoors in hospitality venues, such as pubs.
People must not meet with people outside of their household or support bubble in a private garden or in most outdoor public venues.
People can continue to see friends and family in groups of six or less that they don’t live with (or have formed a support bubble with) in certain outdoor public spaces, such as a park or public garden.
Very High restrictions also mean that:
People can attend COVID- safe places of worship but must avoid mingling.
Wedding and civil partnership ceremonies must only take place in COVID-secure venues or in public outdoor spaces unless in exceptional circumstances. Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are restricted to 15 people. Receptions must not take place.
Funerals must only take place in COVID-secure venues or in public outdoor spaces with up to 30 people in attendance. Wakes or linked ceremonial events before or after the funeral are limited to 15 people and must not take place in private homes.
Schools and colleges will remain open.
People should not visit a care home except in exceptional circumstances, for example to visit an individual who is at the end of their life.
People should try to avoid travelling outside their local area where possible, or entering another area rated Very High other than for work, education, accessing youth services, or to meet caring responsibilities.
People should also avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if they are resident of Bradford District and avoid staying overnight in the District if they are resident elsewhere.
There are also new rule changes for businesses which mean that the following business venues must close:
Pubs and bars will be closed unless they are serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal; they may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal
Certain businesses selling food or drink on their premises are required to close between 10pm and 5am
Casinos
Soft Play Areas
Adult Gaming Centres
Betting Shops
Car Boot sales
Shisha bars (serving shisa) – these venues may operate but only as a cafe and not allowed to serve shisha.
Gyms can remain open but guidance is against indoor exercise classes taking place.
For more information on the new restrictions, please visit www.bradford.gov.uk/coronavirus Bradford Council is working through the guidance for each restriction and what this means, and will share more updates and information as soon as we can. Cllr Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, said: “Let’s be clear, further economic restrictions on Bradford and West Yorkshire are going to be damaging for businesses and jobs. There is a “template” of funding available from Government to support these businesses but I do not think it will be enough. Neither were Government in the mood to give us more. Government are seriously underestimating the economic impact of these measures and we in West Yorkshire will challenge them to improve upon them. “No one can deny that the infection rates are now very high indeed so action needs to be taken. The Government has a tiered approach to how to manage the infection and for areas with high infections this is the next step in their programme. They have told us they are not contemplating a national lockdown as we saw at the start of the pandemic. So this is the only intervention on offer. “I have concerns about the low paid who can ill afford to self-isolate, the £500 grant, just introduced, has many criteria to qualify and it has taken months for Government to act on this. We first raised it in July but it wasn’t introduced until this month. People will lose their jobs, youth unemployment has doubled. “As a Council we are committed to helping people get back on their feet but the Government package of financial support to businesses limits the district’s ability to sustain jobs at the same scale they were. “I issue a heartfelt plea to everyone to stay apart, wear a face covering indoors and wash your hands. If you get COVID please self-isolate for the whole 10 days. Too few people nationally do.
“The sooner we can reduce infection rates the sooner we will be able to reduce the level of restrictions. So please remember to wash hands, wear a mask, keep your distance and self-isolate if you have the virus or have symptoms.”
