This is the latest rolling weekly update covering the legislation and guidance on coronavirus COVID-19 during the week commencing 11 April 2021*.
Sunday 11 April to Saturday 17 April
His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Following the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on 9 April, there will be an eight-day period of mourning until the funeral at St George’s Windsor on Saturday 17 April. As a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, and in light of current Government advice and social distancing guidelines, modified Funeral and ceremonial arrangements are in place: the Cabinet Office has produced Guidance for the Period of National Mourning; the Church of England has issued Guidance for parish churches; and the Central Council of Church Bellringers has posted advice on the ringing of bells over this period.
Legislation
England
- The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps and Local Authority Enforcement Powers) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021, SI 2021/455 and Explanatory Memorandum. These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021 (“Steps Regulations”), to move England from the Step 1 area to the Step 2 area, so that the restrictions set out in Schedule 2 to the Steps Regulations apply in England with effect from 12th April 2021, the date on which these Regulations come into force. They also make other minor amendments.
- Adam Wagner: Table of COVID-19 Lockdown Regulations. (15 April 2021).
Wales
Northern Ireland
- The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021, SR 2021/96.§
- The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021, SR 2021/97. These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 by providing for a click and collect service to be provided by non-essential retailers, allowing certain visitors to venues hosting wedding or civil partnership ceremonies, allowing up to ten people to meet outside at a private dwelling, removing regulation 14 (Restrictions on movement), and permitting the opening of further retail businesses as set out in the schedule 1; along with changes of a technical nature.
Guidance
England
- (COVID-19) Coronavirus restrictions: what you can and cannot do. What you can and cannot do. (12 April 2021).
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Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19), DBEIS and DDCMS. (8 April 2021). Includes, Performing arts Guidance, Guidance for people who work in performing arts, including arts organisations, venue operators and participants (8 April). Also COVID-19, Guidance for small marriages and civil partnership ceremonies and COVID-19: Guidance for wedding and civil partnership receptions and celebrations, both of which are updated to 12 April 2021.
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COVID-19: guidance for the safe use of places of worship and special religious services and gatherings during the pandemic, MHCLG, (12 April 2021), including COVID-19: guidance for the safe use of places of worship, MHCLG, (Updated 12 April 2021) and Celebrating religious festivals during coronavirus (COVID-19), MHCLG, (12 April 2021). These refer to Performing arts Guidance, (12 April 2021), and COVID-19: suggested principles of safer singing, PHE, (12 November 2020).
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COVID-19: guidance for arranging or attending a funeral during the coronavirus pandemic, DHSC and PHE. Updated in line with regulation changes made on 29 March and 12 April. Same caveats on singing &c as other contemporary guidance for places of worship. (13 April 2021).
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COVID-19 enforcement powers for local authorities, The tools will consist of: Coronavirus Improvement Notice (CIN); Coronavirus Restrictions Notice (CRN); Coronavirus Immediate Restrictions Notice (CIRN), and are based upon HASAWA 1974. DHSC, (14 April 2021).§
Church of England‡
Last updated: Friday16 April, 14:07
Updated documents:
- COVID-19 Advice on the Conduct of Public Worship, v 3.1. Note: This version was updated on 31 March 2021.
- COVID-19 Advice for Conducting Funerals, v5.7. Updates from version 5.6: As we have moved from step 1 to step 2 in the Governments 4 step plan to come out of lockdown on the 12th April new limits to the numbers permitted at wakes and the internment of ashes have been introduced. (16 April 2021). §
Updated: Wednesday 14 April, 16:30§
Updated FAQs:
- How can I get a lateral flow test? in the General section. Links to NHS web site.
- Is singing permitted? in the Prayer and Worship section. Incorporates changes from April 12, and links to RSCM Guidance of April 8.
Updated: Monday 12 April, 13:37
- New FAQ: How can we remember the Duke of Edinburgh in our services? Acts of communal worship should follow the advice for public worship and outdoor worship where appropriate. Prayers and other liturgical resources are available here.§
Other churches and faith organizations
Muslim Council of Britain
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Ramadan 2021. Ramadan will be from 12/13 April 2021 to 12/13 May 2021 (depending on moon sightings). See #SafeRamadan 2021 Guide for advice on COVID-19 related and other issues. (9 April 2021).
Food Standards Agency
- Food Alert: Sainsbury’s recalls Taste the Difference Medjool Dates because of possible contamination with Hepatitis A. This is of particular relevance during Ramadan since after sundown, Muslims break their fast with iftar, a meal which usually starts with dates and water or milk, followed by dinner. (13 April 2021).
Law and Religion UK
- Law and religion round-up – 11 April. Provisions on His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh relating to COVID-19, reproduced above. Explanation of the update to our post COVID-19 Coronavirus: legislation and guidance.
- Law and religion round-up – 18 April. Under Wakefield Cathedral and COVID-19, this notes that religious or belief-based commemorative events, such services commemorating the life of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are restricted to 15 people in attendance. These provisions limiting attendance to 15 will be relevant to any church, cathedral or other place of worship which intends to hold such an event. However, the Guidance documents indicate “[a]nyone working is not counted in these limits”.
Post last updated, 18 April 2021 at 07:15.
* 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; the updates for the earlier weeks are here and those items in the weekly updates yet to be added are marked “§“.
Material from the earlier Coronavirus updates – index was transferred to this post on 20 August 2020 at 18:04, to which further updates continues to be added. On 2-3 April 2021, COVID-19 Coronavirus: legislation and guidance was revised and reordered; the version, as at Friday 2 April at 17:51, archived on 5 April 2021 at 09:39 is available here. The latest additions are added at the end of each group of items, with the exception of those from the Church of England, which reflect the order of the guidance documents on the Church’s web pages.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance page on the CofE web site includes a number of “documents”, FAQs, and other material. With regard to the “documents”, we use the information on the document itself – date and version number – since used since these provide the best indication of their provenance. The FAQs have no unique URL, and are grouped in a number of generic headings, which are subject to change.