The Government has yet again thrown the country into another nationwide lockdown with all non-essential premises to close. But what does this mean for Island businesses and customers?
The rules will be in place throughout January and most likely for the majority of February, with restrictions set to be in place until at least mid-February – but the Government could extend the lockdown beyond this point.
The following businesses and premises must close:
- Restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes – but takeaway and delivery service can continue (no alcohol)
- Hotels, hostels, B&Bs and holiday parks – should only open for those travelling for work purposes and limited other exemptions
- All non-essential retail including clothing stores, electronics stores, vehicle showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops
- Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities including bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks
- Entertainment venues including theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, concert halls, zoos and other animal attractions, inside areas of botanical gardens;
- Personal care facilities including hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture and tanning salons.
- Places of worship for services – except funerals following the social distancing guidance; places of worship should remain open for solitary prayer. Live streaming of a service without audience would be permissible
Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services can remain open, although some such as Hursts are deciding to close for the safety of staff and customers.
Non-essential retail can remain open for delivery to customers and click-and-collect and, unlike the first lockdown in March, playgrounds can also remain unlocked. However, takeaway alcohol is not permitted this time around.
The following businesses can remain open:
- Supermarkets
- Pharmacies
- Medical and dental services
- Garden centres
- Building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences
- Market stalls selling essential retail
- Businesses providing repair services but only if they primarily offer repair services
- Petrol stations
- Automatic car washes (no hand car washes)
- Vehicle repair and MOT services
- Bicycle shops
- Taxi and vehicle hire businesses
- Banks and building societies
- Post Offices
- Short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses
- Funeral directors
- Laundrettes and dry cleaners
- Vets and pet shops, animal rescue centres, boarding facilities and animal groomers
- Agricultural supplies shops
- Mobility and disability support shops
- Storage and distribution facilities
In addition, public toilets, outdoor playgrounds, car parks, places of worship and crematoriums/burial grounds can remain unlocked.
Environmental Health and Trading Standards officers will monitor compliance with these regulations, with police support provided if appropriate. Businesses and premises that breach them will be subject to prohibition notices, and potentially unlimited fines.
Holiday let’s do what they want and have done through every lockdown.
It’s not the Government that’s thrown the country into lock-down it’s the idiots who were ignoring the advice
Why not stop ferries, Close all takeaway places completely, close everything down and only have Essencial supermarkets open. This is what NEW ZEALAND did and they are now a covid free country. WE NEED TO DO THIS INORDER FOR THE VIRUS TO END ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT. THIS IS WHAT BORRIS NEEDS TO DO FOR EVERYONES SAKE. WE WILL NEVER GET RID OF COVID IS FERRIES ARE OPEN AND PLACES THAT DONT NEED TO BE ARE OPEN. TAKEAWAYS ARE NOT ESSENCIAL SO THEY SHOULD CLOSE NO DELIEVERY NOTHING. BORRIS JOHNSON COME ON DO WHAT NEW ZEALAND DID AND MAKE THE ISLE OF WIGHT SAFER
Please learn to spell and you need a new keyboard – your caps lock is broken!
population of NZ about 4.2 million
Wightlink and Red Funnel should only allow those on the ferries who are deliveries, those who work on the mainland and hospital appointments only. Will they. No. They will once again announce that they have no power to stop people travelling. Profit before safety.
Why are garden centres classed as essential?
“Freedom is not freedom from danger, it is the freedom to assess danger and risks for one’s self and behave as you see fit, not simply as the government permits.”
The latest lockdown will see more than 550,000 business closures in England. 401,690 ‘non-essential’ shops, 64,537 pubs or restaurants, 20,703 personal care facilities and 7,051 gyms or leisure centres All of them, someone’s livelihood and someone’s employer.
Local Island retail have to close but you can buy clothes in supermarkets. Local Island carpet, curtains, blinds and rug showrooms have to close but you can buy them in the Range or Dunhelm Mill and B&Q. Local Island Bathroom, kitchen and tile showrooms have to close but you can buy these in B&Q. The big companies are perfectly safe but the smaller companies are shut out yet again and left to struggle on while the big guys cash in.