Tier 4 Lincolnshire: Know the latest lockdown rules

Lincolnshire officially moved up to tier 4 on Thursday, meaning people have extra new restrictions to familiarise themselves with.

Some three quarters of the UK population are now in tier 4, including Lincoln, Boston, South Kesteven, North Kesteven, East Lindsey, West Lindsey and South Holland. However, North and North East Lincolnshire will remain in tier 3.

This also means that, although the primary schools will open as planned on January 4, there will be a one week delay and then a staggered return for secondary school age pupils and those in colleges.

Businesses and venues closed

• Non-essential retail, although they can continue to operate click-and-collect and delivery services
• Hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, pubs bars and social clubs, except for providing food and drink for takeaway until 11pm, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery
• Accommodation such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites, except for specific circumstances
• Leisure and sports facilities
• Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys and more
• Indoor attractions at venues such a botanical gardens, heritage homes and landmarks must close, but the outdoor grounds can stay open
• Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must close. These services should also not be provided in other people’s homes

See the full list here

Tier 4 restrictions recap

• People must not leave their home or garden unless they have a ‘reasonable excuse’ including where reasonably necessary for work, education, exercise or open air recreation, and essential activities such as medical appointments and to buy food
• If you need to travel you should stay local and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall. You must not leave your tier 4 area other than for legally permitted reasons, including travel to work where you cannot work from home, travel to education and for caring responsibilities, and visit or stay overnight with people in your support bubble, or your childcare bubble for childcare purposes
• Everyone who can work from home should do so
• People must not meet socially indoors, in a private garden or most outdoor public venues with anybody they do not live with or have a support bubble with
• People can see only one other person that they do not live with (or do not have a support bubble with) in certain public outdoor places – such as parks, public gardens, or outdoor sports facilities
• You can leave home to visit people in your support bubble, or to provide informal childcare for children aged 13 and under as part of a childcare bubble, to provide care for vulnerable people, to provide emergency assistance, attend a support group (of up to 15 people), or for respite care where the care is being provided to a vulnerable person or a person with a disability, or is a short break in respect of a looked after child
• You can leave home to attend or visit a place of worship for communal worship, a funeral or event related to death, a burial ground or remembrance garden, a wedding ceremony
• Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees. Six people can attend wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions are not allowed, 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies, six people can attend linked commemorative events
• Accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, holiday lets and guest houses must close, other than where very limited exceptions apply
• Hospitality  settings, such as bars (including shisha bars), pubs, cafes, restaurants, and social club must close except for takeaway, delivery, drive-through and click and collect services. Takeaway must cease between 11pm and 5am, but delivery, drive-through and click-and-collect may continue during this period. This  includes restaurants and bars within hotels or members’ clubs
• Indoor entertainment venues, such as casinos, bowling alleys, and bingo halls must close. Cinemas, theatres, and concert venues must also close
• Certain outdoor venues, such as botanical gardens, heritage sites, and zoos and other animal attractions may stay open, although indoor elements at these attractions must also close
• All indoor leisure and sports facilities must close except where a legal exemption exists, such as for the training of elite sportspersons
• You may also leave home to fulfil legal obligations, or to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum
• You can leave home for a medical reason, including to get a COVID-19 test, for medical appointments and emergencies, to be with someone who is giving birth, to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm (such as domestic abuse), or for animal welfare reasons (including attending the vet)
• You can leave home to visit someone who is dying or someone in a care home (if permitted under care home guidance), hospice, or hospital, or to accompany them to a medical appointment

See the full tier 4 guidance here

Tier 4 restrcitions. | Image: NHS

The police can take action against you if you meet in larger groups, including breaking up illegal gatherings and issuing fines.

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, double for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400. If you hold, or are involving in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of £10,000.