This is a weekly update on the legislation and guidance on coronavirus COVID-19 up to Saturday, 31 October; it is intended as a quick reference to the latest developments. New items will be added throughout each week as they become available, and included in COVID-19 Coronavirus: legislation and guidance which is now the main source of information§. The updates for the earlier weeks are here.
Sunday 25 October to Saturday 31 October
- England lockdown – 5 November to 2 December
- Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 31 October 2020
Law and Religion UK
- Law and religion round-up – 25 October. Three new regional categories for COVID-19 restrictions in England; Coronavirus circuit break: Wales, and clergy challenge; COVID-19 and the wedding industry; Bellringing; Postponement of General Synod elections.
Church of England
Other churches and faith organizations
Church of Scotland
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Guidance for congregations with employees. Updated 27 October.
Legislation
England
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The Health Protection (Notification) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1175. These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010, SI 2010/659 (“the Principal Regulations”) and require diagnostic laboratories that process tests, and persons who carry out point of care tests, for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or influenza virus to notify Public Health England of the results of those tests.
- The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (Medium, High and Very High) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1176. These Regulations subject the area of Warrington Borough Council to the restrictions set out in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (Very High) (England) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1105 (the “Very High Regulations”) and make corresponding amendments to remove Warrington from the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (High) (England) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1104. They impose closures on additional businesses in that area.
They also make a number of minor corrections to the Very High Regulations, supra, the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (Medium) (England) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1103, and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (High) (England) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1104. - The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (Medium, High and Very High) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1183, Moves a number areas on Nottinghamshire from Local Covid Alert Level High to Local Covid Alert Level Very High.
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The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (High) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1189. These Regulations make changes to the areas which are subject to the restrictions set out in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (High) (England) Regulations 2020.
Scotland
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The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, SSI 344. These Regulations (which come into force at 6 a.m. on 2 November 2020) set out restrictions and requirements which apply in Scotland as a result of coronavirus. Different levels of restrictions and requirements (Level 0 to Level 4) are provided for in schedules 1 to 5 respectively of these Regulations. The levels apply to the local areas specified in schedule 6.
Northern Ireland
Guidance
- Prime Minister announces new national restrictions, Cabinet Office, 31 October.
- Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 31 October 2020
- New National Restrictions from 5 November, Cabinet Office, 31 October.
- Local COVID alert level: very high, DHSC, 29 October. Find out what restrictions are in place if you live in an area where the local COVID alert level is very high.
- Local COVID alert levels: what you need to know, DHSC, 27 October. Information on local COVID alert levels, including what they mean, why they are being introduced and what the different levels are.
Other guidance
- CCCBR: Update 23 October. Following further discussions with the Church of England Recovery Group, there is no longer a blanket restriction on ringing in Tiers 2 and 3 in England.
- Adam Wagner: COVID Regulations Table, updated 26 October.
- House of Commons Library: Research Briefing, Coronavirus: enforcing restrictions. Confusion and mixed messages, 28 October.
- Security Industry Authority, (SIA): Licensable Activities. See FOI Release, Do people enforcing social distancing need an SIA licence?, 24 August 2020.
§ – item not yet added to COVID-19 Coronavirus: legislation and guidance.
Post last updated, 31 October at 22:07.
Both the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (Medium, High and Very High) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/1154) and The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (Medium, High and Very High) (England) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/1176) contain this rubric at the top of the first page: “This Statutory Instrument corrects errors in S.I. 2020/1103, S.I. 2020/1104 and S.I. 2020/1105 and is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of those Statutory Instruments.”
It is bad enough tracking the frequent changes to the Coronoavirus restriction rules (and whether they are legally enforceable rules contained in regulations or only guidance) but this piecemeal correction of ‘errors’ in the principal regulations, apart from indicating sloppy drafting, makes ascertaining the current law (and, note, criminal law) the more difficult. Surely the Government ought to be required to publish an ‘as amended’ copy of the principal regulations alongside each set of amending regulations.
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