Local News: Northampton City Center and parishes in and around NN1 (Northampton)

Step 3 of the government roadmap goes into effect

Local sports clubs will again welcome cash receipts – library image of Towcestrians Sports Club.

Step 3 of the government’s “Roadmap” to Return to Freedom goes into effect today and public health officials are providing advice on how to safely mix indoors and outdoors.

Today, residents of Northamptonshire and all of England will take step 3 on the four-step “roadmap” out of lockdown, with additional freedoms allowed by law.

You can now meet people indoors, but the ‘rule of 6’ or 2 households still applies. When you meet friends and family, it is your personal choice whether to keep your distance from them, but you should still be careful. You can also meet whoever you like outdoors, but gatherings of over 30 people remain illegal.

Indoor hospitality is reopening – and like in Step 2, the venues don’t have to serve a full meal of alcoholic beverages. There will also be no curfew. However, customers have to order, eat and drink while seated.

Other indoor locations that can be opened today are indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas and children’s playgrounds. the rest of the lodging sector, including hotels, hostels and B & Bs; and indoor group sports and exercise classes for adults.

The government is now also introducing some larger indoor performances and sporting events with a capacity of 1,000 people or half full (whichever is lower) and outdoor areas with a capacity of 4,000 people or half full (whichever is full ) allow a lower number). The largest outdoor seating, where the crowd can spread out, can seat up to 10,000 people (or a quarter full, whichever is lower).

The COVID-safe guidelines will remain in place in all sectors and will be reviewed by environmental health officers.

Up to 30 people can attend weddings, receptions and vigils, and funerals. Capacity depends on the size of the venue and compliance with social distancing rules. This limit also applies to other types of major life events, including bar mitzvah and baptism.

Nightclubs will remain closed until the nation takes the final step on the “roadmap” step 4, not before June 21st.

Public health officials are issuing the following advice on safe mixing as restrictions have officially been lifted. They also ask residents to do a lateral flow test twice a week and to be vaccinated when they call.

“The further easing of measures today is welcome news and a great relief to residents of Northamptonshire and across the country. We all worked very hard to get here and it was not easy to comply with the lockdown measures.

“Unfortunately, as we all know by now, we will not be able to get rid of COVID-19 completely and we must all incorporate the risk of exposure into our lives. Fall rates in our county are increasing and the Indian variant is circulating in Northamptonshire. It is therefore important that we use the utmost caution and common sense.

“Now when you meet friends and family it is your personal choice whether to keep your distance from them, but you should still be vigilant. We all need to remember that close contact, including hugging, increases the risk of the spread of COVID-19.

Lucy Wightman, Joint Director of Public Health – North and West Northamptonshire Councils, said:

“There is no absolutely certain time of close contact, but if you do meet inside, I would advise:

• Make sure the room is well ventilated.
• Open windows and doors or take other measures to let in plenty of fresh air. Bringing fresh air into a room and removing older stale air that may contain virus particles will decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 spreading. The more fresh air that is brought into the room, the faster all viruses in the air will be removed from the room.
• Minimize how many people you are in close contact with and for how long. The more people you have in close contact – especially if they come from different households – the more likely you are to catch or pass on COVID-19.
• Long periods of close contact increase the risk of transmission and keep in mind that even brief periods of contact can spread COVID-19.
• Wash your hands and clean the surfaces regularly to remove virus particles.

“I would also like to urge you to accept the vaccine, if you are offered it, and encourage others to do so. Vaccines reduce the chance that the virus will be passed on and you will develop a serious illness yourself. Think about you

and loved ones are vaccinated and whether there was time for the vaccine to take effect before it is in close contact – and that any residual risk always remains. Keep in mind that some people are more prone to developing serious illnesses from COVID-19 than others.

“We have come this far and only have to climb one more step. We can only do this if fewer people continue to catch COVID-19. ”

To remind Northamptonshire residents to stay as safe as possible outdoors, the Public Health team continues to publish their COVID-19 awareness campaign entitled “Take Care of Yourself in the Open Air”. The campaign aims to provide residents with evidence-based, scientific guidance to help individuals apply best practices and meet others outside.

As outlined in the government’s roadmap to recovery, it is important that outdoor social distancing measures remain in place until data shows that can change. Some of the key messages are:

• When outdoors, maintain a social distance of six feet and avoid close face-to-face contact, especially when shouting or laughing (aerosol droplets are larger and move farther when laughing or shouting).
• COVID-19 can be detected from surfaces such as playground equipment, railings, goals and buttons
• Bring hand sanitizer with you when you are out and use contactless payments whenever possible. Take your face covering with you in case you need it
• Please dispose of all old face coverings in a trash can. Discarded face masks carry the risk of carry-over and contribute to unwanted waste. Please dispose of them safely in a trash can
• If you meet in private gardens in particular, avoid sharing items, stay two meters away from others, including family members you do not live with, and remain vigilant about any alcohol consumption and follow directions . These messages will continue to appear on social media, bus stops, digital vans, and open spaces for the coming weeks. They are there to help residents stay safe and adhere to the guidelines that will help us get to step four on the roadmap if the data supports it on June 21, 2021. Before proceeding to the next step, the government will review the data to assess the impact of the previous step. This rating is based on four tests:

When people are outside and physically apart, the particles containing the virus that causes COVID-19 are blown away, making them less likely to be inhaled by another person.

1. The vaccine delivery program continues successfully.

2. There is evidence that vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospital stays and deaths among those vaccinated.

3. Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospital admissions that would not put sustained pressure on the NHS.

4. New types of concerns do not fundamentally change our assessment of the risks.

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