Preston will see its fourth set of new restrictions in the space of fourth months from Thursday.

The city joins the rest of England in going into a near full lockdown to try and curb the spread of coronavirus.

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Preston, and many places in Lancashire, have some of the highest infection rates for Covid-19 in the country at present.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new measures, which will come into force from 00.01 on Thursday (5 November), at a press conference on Saturday evening.

He said it was a ‘moral and medical’ argument for introducing the tighter restrictions which will run until the 2 December.

Preston was placed into tighter local measures in early August, moved into tier-two in mid-October for all of four days before moving into tier-three restrictions on 17 October. The tier-three restrictions remain in place until the new restrictions on Thursday (5 November).

Read more: Preston Council leader says national lockdown ‘could have been avoided’

The full restrictions, subject to parliamentary approval are being introduced from Thursday (5 November) and can be found below:

Stay home

The Stay Home message, used in March, is back. The only reasons for leaving your home are:

• for childcare or education, where this is not provided online
• for work purposes, where your place of work remains open and you’re not able to work from home
• to exercise outdoors or visit an outdoor public place
• for any medical concerns, medical appointments or emergencies
• to escape injury or harm, such as domestic abuse
• shopping for essentials, such as food or medicine, you should limit your trips to the shop as much as possible
• to visit members of your support bubble or provide care for vulnerable people, or for volunteering

Social distance

You should maintain two-metres apart from people you don’t live with

You should wear a face covering in indoor settings

Wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds

What are the rules on meeting friends and family?

You must not meet socially indoors with friends or family unless they are part of your household, this means the people you live with or those in your support bubble

A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with another households.

You can exercise or visit outdoor public places with the people you live with, your support bubble, or one person from another household

Outdoor public places include parks, beaches, countryside, public gardens, allotments or playgrounds

You cannot meet in private gardens

What about businesses?

All non-essential shops will have to close from Thursday, including the likes of clothing, electronics, car showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops

Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities will have to close including bowling alleys, leisure centres, gyms, swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play centres, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks

Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres, arcades, bingo halls, zoos and other animal attractions and botanical gardens must all shut

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Personal care facilities also need to close again including hairdressers, barbers, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture and tanning salons

Non-essential retail can remain open for delivery to customers and for click-and-collect orders.

Pubs, restaurants and bars can still provide takeaway and delivery services. But this must be for food only, no alcohol is allowed.

Hotels, hostels and other accommodation can only open to those who are travelling for work purposes.

Medical services such as GP practices will remain open, as will civil buildings like Jobcentres, courts and civil registration offices.

Read more: How Preston firms affected by the tier-three restrictions can apply for up to £3,000

Can funerals and weddings go ahead?

Funerals have a limit of 30 people attend, and ash scatterings and stone settings are limited to 15 people.

Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are not permitted from Thursday.

Places of worship will close but can open for funerals, to broadcast acts of worship, individual prayer, formal childcare or as part of a school, essential voluntary and public services e.g. foodbank

Going to work

Everyone who can work effectively from home must do so.

Public sector employees working in essential srvices, including education, should continue to go into work.

Schools, colleges and universities

Schools are to remain open, as are colleges and universities.

Guidance has been issued for those who live at university, you must not move back and forward between your permanent home and student home during term-time. You should only return home at the end of term for Christmas.

Childcare and children’s activities

Early years settings, such as nurseries, can remain open.

Parents can form a childcare bubble with another household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under.

Some youth services may be able to continue, such as 1-2-1 youth work and support groups, but most youth clubs will close

Is shielding returning?

The nearly 2million people with underlying health conditions or classed as ‘at risk’ from Covid because of their age are not being formally told to shield again.

However, those in the shielding category are being urged to minimise contact with others and wash hands carefully and more frequently than usual.

See the latest coronavirus cases and information for where you live by entering your postcode below

Can relatives in care homes be visited?

The government has not updated its guidance on this issue yet, this will be published ahead of Thursday

Is there a travel ban?

Overnight stays and holidays away from your primary residence will not be allowed – including holidays in the UK and abroad.

Essential travel is allowed, so going shopping, travelling to work, travelling to education, caring responsibilities or to access medical care or appointments

Is furlough returning?

The government is reintroducing its 80% furlough scheme, allowing any worker to retain their job and receive up to £2,500 per month.

Full guidance on furlough can be accessed via the government website.

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