Conflicting information from the Government has led to confusion amongst Islanders as to what is and isn’t changing as lockdown is eased – but here is a full list of what you can and cannot do.
The new rules will take effect on Wednesday (13th May) and only apply to England.
As always, at all times you should continue to observe social distancing guidelines when you are outside your home, including ensuring you are 2 metres away from anyone outside your household.
It has been confirmed today that the Government are exploring the concept of ‘bubbles’, which would mean allowing people to expand their household group to include 1 other household. For the time being, you cannot visit friends or family, except to spend time outdoors with up to 1 person from a different household.
From Wednesday you can:
Public spaces/outdoor activities/exercise
- spend time outdoors – for example sitting and enjoying the fresh air, picnicking, or sunbathing
- meet 1 other person from a different household outdoors – following social distancing guidelines
- exercise outdoors as often as you wish – following social distancing guidelines
- use outdoor sports courts or facilities, such as a tennis, basketball court or golf course – with members of your household, or 1 other person while staying 2 metres apart
- go to a garden centre
- swim in the sea
Leaving home
- leave home for work, where you cannot work from home
- go to shops that are permitted to be open – to get things like food and medicine
- donate blood, avoid injury or illness, escape risk of harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
- [you should] wear face coverings (not surgical masks) in enclosed public spaces where social distancing is not possible or where you are more likely to come into contact with people you do not normally meet. These are not compulsory.
Going to work / Safer spaces
- Go back to work where the business is permitted to be open including:
- – supermarkets
- – those in construction and manufacturing
- – those working in labs and research facilities
- – those administering takeaways and deliveries at restaurants and cafes
- – tradesmen, cleaners and others who work in people’s homes
- – those who are facilitating trade or transport goods
- – and so on
Non-essential retail, restaurants, pubs, bars, gyms and leisure centres remain closed. They will reopen in a phased manner provided it is safe to do so no earlier than 1st June
Meeting friends/family
- meet 1 other person from outside your household if you are outdoors. Public gatherings of more than 2 people from different households are prohibited in law. There are no limits on gatherings in the park with members of your household.
Travel
- travel – including day trips – to outdoor open space irrespective of distance
- if you cannot work from home and have to travel to work, or if you must make an essential journey, you should cycle or walk wherever possible
- stay local if possible
The advice for those aged 70 and over continues to be that they should take particular care to minimise contact with others outside their household.
If they do go out more frequently, they should be careful to maintain distance from others. They and everyone should continue to comply with any general social distancing restrictions.
Anyone who has been advised to shield by the NHS or their GP, including those 70 and over, should continue to do this until at least the end of June.
You currently cannot and still cannot from Wednesday:
- visit friends and family in their homes
- leave your home – the place you live – to stay at another home, including second homes or holidays
- exercise in an indoor sports court, gym or leisure centre, or go swimming in a public pool
- use an outdoor gym or playground
- visit a private or ticketed attraction
- gather in a group of more than 2 (excluding members of your own household), except for a few specific exceptions set out in law (for work, funerals, house moves, supporting the vulnerable, in emergencies and to fulfil legal obligations)
Enforcement
If the police believe that you have broken the law – or if you refuse to follow their instructions enforcing the law – a police officer may issue you with a fixed penalty notice of £100 (reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days), an increase of £40 from the previous £60 fixed penalty amount.
If you have already received a fixed penalty notice, the amount for further offences will increase in line with the table below.
| First offence | £100 |
| Second offence | £200 |
| Third offence | £400 |
| Fourth offence | £800 |
| Fifth offence | £1600 |
| Maximum penalty | £3200 |
For both individuals and companies, if you do not pay your fine you could be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose unlimited fines.
I hope the Ferry Companies take note about people not travelling to 2nd homes or holidays!
Oh fgs how many times? The ferry companies have no legal standing to stop people travelling. All they can do is advise, which they do, with every booking!
No it clearly states in the can’s and cant’s:
You currently cannot and still cannot from Wednesday:
visit friends and family in their homes
leave your home – the place you live – to stay at another home, including second homes or holidays
Yes, it does. But your statement regarding the ferry companies taking notice was what I was answering. They have and do, carry out as much as they legally can do to deter unnecessary travel. They cannot police who travels, only advise.
Yes I can see where you are coming from Gary. I was being logical as such that they could say no to someone travelling in these circumstances for the sake of the Island and the people who live here.
Yes they should but they have no legal right to turn people away unfortunately. Maybe this should have been done weeks ago.
Get a life we need mainlanders over here to help the island economy .
Yes Philip wheeler you are correct. What the people don’t see is the collapse of this economy will effect everyone of us, houses ,jobs , business all gone, for what? A virus that has killed as many as the flu. Herd immunity is the only way out of this, isolate and protect the vulnerable, get everyone back to work ,and get our lives back. Not this new world they are trying to create and get us to live by. If we all say no! Then no it is!
Tosser !
@Open Eyed The Police are following the advice given by our government. I assure you that they are not making it up as they go along. When dealing with the idiots who refuse to follow the advice and say they will only move on once they are told to do so by a Police officer makes me wonder about the brains of society these days.
….Or, you could just stay at home for a few more weeks and survive!
this as well
i dont get why they cant just list everything that you can do rather then just a few things and leave the rest for us to guess
https://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/return-to-boating-update.aspx
I can’t see any reference to sailing or water sports in the guidelines. Has there been any further guidance from DCMS?
it does say you can swim in the sea
Clearly the Government have to get the UK back to work to pay for life to continue. Our social security, NHS, jails, caring for immigrants, overseas aid, everything would collapse if we just sat on our butts until, or even IF a vaccine is ever discovered.
So, HMG, has bought time by having the lockdown.
This time has been used to equip all hospitals with more beds etc, to cover the KNOWN growing amounts of dying YET to come, ONCE lockdown ends.
The Government can’t OPENLY say that has been its plan, as people would be angry.
But they have little choice.
So the time spent equipping our hospitals with more beds NOW means more can be admitted to die in hospital in relative obscurity.
THINK, IF HMG had NOT had lockdown and huge numbers were to die before more beds were installed, then they would have died in their homes. The press, the public would have torn the Tory party to pieces, and they would NEVER have gotten back ‘in’ for a generation, with the press saying how ill funded the NHS was to not be able to house the dying.
NOW, over time, similar amounts will die, BUT the big difference is the NHS can let them do so in a hospital, then just a growing daily tally, rather than a face, a name, a real person.
Far less distressing to the public, BUT more importantly FAR less damaging to the Tory party, the UK and to the NHS.
That is why NOW we are allowed to go back to work, as the dying can be catered for in hospital, gradually over the next two years or whatever. Same numbers as if we never had had lock down, BUT importantly ‘spread’ out over a longer time scale.
THINK. What else could HMG have done?
They have to keep the countries economy going, have to keep the public happy, and keep their party with some hope of getting re elected next time around.
A cheap app, few masks, gloves, will ‘give’ the ever trusting public a ‘feeling of safety’ and like sand bags against a direct hit, will do very little in the reality of having to hope no mistakes are made in the long year or two still ahead of us to risk or lives daily.
Yeah you know what? Fuck it. Let’s just let everybody run around like normal, I’m sure it’ll all be fine.
It does say you can swim in the sea, maybe take that route Shanklin Steve
i really dont understand how they are saying that you can let strangers in to clean your house but you cant let family in
Teresa, my point exactly. This so called guidance is rubbish ie, you can only see one parent at a time but what’s the difference when you are shopping and surrounded by others (2 mtr apart) if anyone out there can make sense of that their as crazy as this government. I DONT care what political party their from.
There is no political parties anymore I’m afraid, that stopped years ago. You only have one party, the liars party,and they are bloody good at it to.
You don’t, I imagine, feel the need to kiss and cuddle your cleaner, where if family visited you probably might. Your cleaner could clean while you sit in another room or outside if you can.
Chi na
Are we allowed to go fishing in the sea, in our boat. There is no clarity on boating.We walk to the boat, we come from the same household and won’t be near anyone else. Its our hobby and excersice. Any ideas?
Contact the Coastguard for guidance, best people to ask.
On the BBC update they said outdoor sports including tennis golf and fishing were all ok
If we all do the above it will work, but if some people don’t keep there distance especially in supermarkets, meet up with friends in there houses, then the lockdown will be back and maybe stricter.
Wakey wakey, the lockdown will be back when ever the government decides it’s back! They will just make up the excuse ( sounds familiar) and everyone will do just that, lockdown. Of course a second spike will happen ,once you lift lockdown, or should lockdown be for life. Dont matter what we do the rate will rise. That’s why experts are now saying, that maybe lockdown wasn’t the right way to go, no shit. Look at sweden. All that’s happened is this will go on now for at least another 18months. By then people would ha e got use to the tight controls and it will be the norm sadly. Not for me I’m afraid.
What experts? You avoid direct questions. You waffle when they are asked, you still haven’t answered from an older thread, the question of what is your way out of this situation. You fill these threads full of negative comments without giving any positive feed back or constructive ideas of moving on. Come on, we all know that the only way back to a “normal” existence is via a vaccine programme so what would you do to move on, save lives AND help the economy. Answer the bloody question this time.
You just did the exact same thing Paddy said (again).
Ole grumpy,did you read my previous posts on the last thread? No ,course you didnt,so you make a statement like that!? Please. I did answer, but like I have said ,paddy is a bit…..yeah.
Well Paddy, either live in fear huddled in your bedroom or go out and live, letting nature take its course. I for one hate government’s that wish to rap me up in cotton wool (nanny state)
I say this with the greatest respect to you all.
We said dismus. Still dont think people realise how there life will never be the same again,if they dont wake up and smell the coffee. The government wont let this opportunity past by without major reform. They have been doing change right under your nose,and because you have been frozen with fear( because of lies) you have not noticed.
You really are a rude, childish bastard always resorting to name calling. You blurt on about Sweden whos population is 10.23 million compared to the UK of 66.65 million somewhat of a diffence wouldnt you say so easier to control. Now grow up and talk to people with respect or not at all.
Black rat ( good choice of name) wondered what rubbish bin you would climb out of ,and start your abuse again, with foul language ( lack of intelligence) and a lack of understanding. Tell me, what difference does the population have to the results,when Sweden had no lockdown, limited social distancing ( bars clubs restaurants still open) and everybody at work. This virus is so contagious and deadly, ( that’s the lies) that instead of 3,200 deaths, they should be in the millions!!! I only ever resort to name calling after I’m attacked first! So back down into the sewer, and take your foul language and bad attitude with you.
Strange that you have removed my last comment on this issue, obviously someone did not like the facts and figures in comparison with the rest of the UK. Who is twisting your tail /
Jhvf,you know how it works. You can have an opinion, as long as it looks like your a conspiracy theory person, but when your facts and figs show that,this isn’t a conspiracy. Well then you will be silenced. Dont think the majority of the public have worked that one out yet?
This is very good, thank you . One query on reopening of bars etc – is that not July rather than June? Please confirm.
Looking at the plan the government has ,I would expect end of July but more beginning of August, but how many will open ? Because of the social distance rules. I personally think a lot of bars will close for good ,very sad and feel sorry for those bar owners.
Since it’s been ask( not in a polite manner) that I explain how to move forward and get out of this lockdown fiasco. Its quite easy, learn by others success, sweden. End the lockdown, get everyone back to work that will sort the broken economy, then the people at risk,which have been identified, isolate them.spend resources and money protecting them. The rest of us will have mild symptoms majority, and build hard immunity . Give the British public the respect they deserve, let them be responsible, and majority will,yes you will always get the fools in this world. Stop treating us like children. If you think I’m talking rubbish, that’s your right to,but please just research sweden. Thank you.
if the virus was only delivered by hermes courier then no one would get it !!!!! hermes isle of wight seem to steal parcels
Have heard of 2 groups visiting island what a joke this is all becoming they need to show work I’d to be allowed on island
YouTube freedom Vancouver
Please watch this video, not all of it, it’s to long,but you will get it.
Yes and the fact that Pubs are not supposed to be open until 4th July at the earliest……. Now in a small village on the island there was a sole pub, which by day is quiet and yet by night, on go the lights, lit up like a Christmas party, inside and out, also more than 2 people talking at 11.30pm at night. Now is the pub open, an illegal lock-in or just a coincidence. I have the proof, some good pics and a nice little video too !!!!