This is the latest rolling weekly update covering the legislation and guidance on coronavirus COVID-19 during the week commencing 7 March 2021*. The uncertainty in the relaxation of the lockdown provisions in England is reflected in the different estimates of some of the groups and organizations concerned, infra.

Sunday 7 March to Saturday 13 March

Law and Religion UK

• Law and religion round-up – 7 March

Church of England‡

• Last updated: Friday 05 March, 15.15 Following the Prime Minister’s statement to the Commons outlining the Government’s spring response, the Bishop of London has responded. Our current guidance on the four-step roadmap reflects the information we have on the upcoming changes to restrictions, understanding that the dates given are indicative and that further information may not be available until we approach each step.We continue to work with the Government through the Places of Worship Taskforce and will update our guidance on this website as soon as new information is published by the Government.

Diocese of Oxford

• Diocese of Oxford notes “We are still waiting for more detailed guidance from the Church of England for churches. The national Church is waiting for further detail from the government and is pressing for this…Circumstances may change, but we would hope that every benefice will now be planning to begin public worship in something like the normal patterns by Step 3 of the road map. At present, this will begin not earlier than 17 May: just before the Feast of Pentecost”.

Other churches and faith organizations

• John Stevens, National Director of FIEC: Coronavirus: Summary of Meeting With Minister Of Faith And Officials – Clarification On Weddings, Congregational Singing And Social-Distancing. “Provided the vaccination programme continues to bring the virus under control, there is the prospect of a return to much greater normality, including congregational singing, after June 21, but it is impossible to give a cast-iron assurance that this will be the case.”
• RSCM: Draft Roadmap for the Resumption of Singing. The RSCM and COA (Cathedral Organists’ Association) are working to advocate a safe resumption of music in worship, within the context of a gradual easing of the lockdowns across the UK…The current guidance should form the basis of planning until such time as any update is announced which may or may not be before Easter.
• CCCBR: Updates, (as at 26 February 2021). “While there is still detail to be studied, and every chance of change, all indications are that ringing in England at least will come out of lockdown as follows…”

Guidance, Statements &c

Scotland

• Coronavirus (COVID-19): stay at home guidance Guidance on stay at home regulations that came into effect on 5 January 2021, and was updated on 12 March 2021.
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: First Minister’s statement – 9 March 2021 Updated guidance and regulations will be published on Friday 12 March to reflect these changes.

Updated,  12 March 2021 at 14:37.

* Information on COVID-19 on L&RUK

These updates are published at the start of each week; they are not reissued, but new items are added throughout the week as they become available, providing a “rolling update” of the latest developments during the current week. They are also added to COVID-19 Coronavirus: legislation and guidance which is  the main source of  information; those items in the weekly updates yet to be added are marked “§“.  The updates for the earlier weeks are here.

‡ Church of England documents

For Church of England documents, the information on the document itself – date and version number – provides the best indication of the date on which it was issued

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