This post includes a rolling update of new legislation and guidance on coronavirus COVID-19 during the week commencing 13 June 2021 *.
Sunday 13 June to Saturday 19 June
Legislation
England
- The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions)(Steps and Other Provisions) (England)(Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, SI 2021/705. These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021, to extend the date on which the Regulations expire to the end of 18th July 2021. They also remove most limits on the numbers who may attend a wedding or civil partnership, a reception for a wedding or civil partnership, or a commemorative event following a person’s death, and amend the power of disapplication of the Secretary of State in regulation 9.
They also extend the dates on which the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings on Public Transport) (England) Regulations 2020, the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Local Authority Enforcement Powers and Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 expire to the same date, and amend the definition of “linked households” in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings on Public Transport) (England) Regulations 2020.
These Regulations come into force at 11.55 p.m. on 20th June 2021.
Guidance
England
- PM statement at coronavirus press conference: 14 June 2021, Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, (14 June 2021).
- (COVID-19) Coronavirus restrictions: what you can and cannot do, Cabinet Office. Updated to reflect the publication of revised wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and celebrations guidance and new guidance on what you need to do if you’re planning a wedding or civil partnership or funeral, wake or commemoration in venues such as gardens or marquees on private land. This explains the current status of the updates of the various guidance†. (14 June, update 15 June).
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): Wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and celebrations, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Updated to include guidance on changes from 21 June, (14 June 2021).
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): How to safely plan a wedding or civil partnership, or funeral, wake or commemoration, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. What you need to do if you’re planning a wedding or civil partnership in venues such as gardens or marquees on private land, excluding indoors inside private homes. (14 June 2021).
- Coronavirus: enforcing restrictions. House of Commons Library, Research Briefing, (16 June 2021).
Wales
-
Guidance on reopening places of worship: coronavirus, Guidance for managing the safe opening of places of worship and prayer during the coronavirus pandemic, including singing. Welsh Government, (14 May 2021).
Other guidance &c
- Adam Wagner: Table of COVID-19 Lockdown Regulations, (updated 16 June 2021).
Church of England‡
- Coronavirus restrictions update – response from the Bishop of London 14 June 2021 at 19:25.
“…“Thankfully church buildings remain open for public worship and prayer. While we look forward to restrictions on worship being lifted in the near future, I will continue to press for ongoing appraisal of choral and congregational singing.
“We will also update our guidance on public worship where necessary in light of today’s announcement and I understand that the Business Committee of the General Synod will be looking at options for the planned July meeting of Synod in the next few days.
“The Prime Minister’s comments about lifting the limit of 30 people attending weddings will be a relief to many. We will await the detail from the Government about what it means in practice and will update our guidance to churches accordingly…”
- July Synod to take place online. Papers for Synod will be published on Thursday June 24 on the Synod section of the Church of England website. The revised timetable is now available. (17 June 2021).
-
Updated Thursday June 17, 16:58: Updates following concessions to numerical limits for weddings and commemorative events which come into effect on Monday 21 June. Updated documents:
- COVID-19 Advice on the Conduct of Public Worship, v3.5. (16 June 2021).
- COVID-19 Advice for clergy conducting weddings, v6.3, (16 June).
- COVID-19 Advice for Conducting Funerals, v5.9, (16 June).
Law and Religion UK
- Law and religion round-up – 13 June COVID-19 and Parliamentary scrutiny; COVID-19 and ordinations.
- Weddings, wakes and face masks, Relaxation of some Step 2 requirements, (15 June 2021).
†The Guidance (COVID-19) Coronavirus restrictions: what you can and cannot do explains: “Guidance on wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and celebrations has been updated; Guidance on arranging or attending a funeral during the coronavirus pandemic will be updated by 17 June; Guidance on what you need to do if you’re planning a wedding or civil partnership or funeral, wake or commemoration in venues such as gardens or marquees on private land has also been published”. For each of the newly announced exceptions, the organisers must take the “required precautions” which are defined in section 6 of the Steps Regulations, and for these and other “gatherings”, have been in force since 29 March 2021.
Post last updated, 18 June at 19:15.
* 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, and listed with the newest items last (unlike the CofE documents, infra); items in the weekly updates yet to be added are marked “§“. The updates for the earlier weeks are here.
Church of England documents are listed under their full title and issue number, in the same order as they appear on the Church’s web site.