View all questions and answers:

 

1. What are the new measures?

From Friday 18th September, regulations will lawfully ban the following:

• Residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households in private homes and gardens
• All hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service only
• Late night restriction of operating hours will be introduced, with venues required to close between 10pm to 5am.

Residents are also advised to adhere to the following guidance to further reduce rates of infection:

• Residents should not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in all public venues.
• Residents are advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work
• Holidays should be taken within your own household or support bubble
• Residents are advised against attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.

 

2. What areas does it cover?

The whole of North Tyneside, Newcastle, Northumberland, Gateshead, County Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside.

 

3. When are the measures being introduced?

Friday 18 September at 00:01.

 

4. Why are the measures being introduced?

These measures will help to address the significant rise in coronavirus cases in the region in recent weeks.

There is an increased risk of transmission the more people who gather together. Our data shows an increased rate of transmission in homes, hospitality venues and through grassroot sports.

We are doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable, keep businesses open and children in school, which these measures will help with.

 

5. There were new national measures announced on September 22, what does this mean?

Residents in the region should follow the most restrictive measures – so this means following the local restrictions at this time.

 

6. Why is Northumberland subject to these measures when they’re not on the Government’s ‘watchlist’?

Infection rates have risen significantly in all areas, with increased numbers of outbreaks, leading to more community transmission across the region. While our rates of infections are different, all local authorities in this area are seeing significant rises in positive cases.

People also travel frequently between the different areas for work and leisure, so it makes sense for us to come together to contain this latest increase in infections.

 

7. How long will it last?

It starts from 00:01 hours on Friday 18 September and will be monitored closely and reviewed on a weekly basis. The next steps will depend on the impact the measures have.
 

8. What are the household changes?

You must not meet people who do not live with you, or are not part of your support bubble, either indoors or outdoors, unless for the specific purposes mentioned below.

People should only come inside your home for specific purposes:

• where everyone in the gathering lives together or is in the same support bubble
• to attend a birth at the mother’s request
• to visit a person who is dying (the visitor can be someone the dying person lives with, a close family member, friend or, if none of those is visiting, anyone else)
• to fulfil a legal obligation
• for work purposes (see guidance on working safely in other people’s homes), or for the provision of voluntary or charitable services
• for the purposes of education or training
• for the purposes of childcare provided by a registered provider
• to provide emergency assistance
• to enable one or more persons in the gathering to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm
• to facilitate a house move
• to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
• to continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children where the children do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents.

 

9. Do these measures affect childcare?

You can continue to use early years and childcare settings, including childminders and providers offering before or after school clubs or other out-of-school settings for children. You can also continue to employ nannies, including those living outside of the region.

Children of parents who are separated can continue to move between households.

‘Informal’ childcare, for example grandparents looking after children, is allowed for children under 14 or vulnerable adults where that is necessary for caring purposes (see questions 9 - 11 for further information).

It does not allow for play-dates or parties.

This informal arrangement exemption was announced by government on September 21 after initially not being permitted. The seven local authorities had asked for informal childcare to be exempt from the restrictions and lobbied for this to change.

10. Can grandparents from the same household (i.e. grandma and grandad) both provide childcare?

Yes. Grandparents who live in the same household, i.e. grandma and grandad, can link with one other household so that the parents of the children can work.

11. I have two sets of grandparents who live in separate households looking after my children. Is this allowed?

No. You can only link with one other household at any time, so the parents of the children can work.

 

 

12. I am a grandparent, how many of my grandchildren can I look after?

One set from one household, so the parents can work. 

13. What is a support bubble?

A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult in the home (known as a single-adult household) and one other household of any size.

Once you’re in a support bubble, you can think of yourself as being in a single household with people from the other household. It means you can have close contact with that household as if they were members of your own household.

Once you make a support bubble, you should not change who is in your bubble.

You should not have multiple bubbles.

 

14. Do these measures affect access to education?

No. Schools, colleges and universities remain open and are operating in a COVID-secure way.

 

15. Does my child need to wear a face covering at school?

Unless exempt, in education settings where students in Year 7 and above are educated, including middle schools, face coverings should be worn by staff, visitors and students when moving around in corridors and communal areas.

 

16. Can I travel outside the area for work or school?

Yes, people living inside and outside of these areas can continue to travel for work or school. Workplaces and schools themselves should also be implementing covid-secure measures.

 

17. Can I go to someone’s house in an area not subject to the restrictions?

You should not visit anyone’s home inside or outside of the restricted area (except for your support bubble).

 

18. Can I go to a care home?

Care homes in the region have been advised to stop non-essential visiting, excluding health care professionals and those involved in end of life care (including family members).

If you are planning to visit relatives in care homes outside the affected areas (see question 2), then check with the care home prior to travelling to ensure that they are still open to visits from family members.
 

19. What are the changes for the hospitality venues?

The following must close from 10pm to 5am:

• Pubs
• Bars and restaurants (including hotel dining rooms and members’ clubs)
• Cafes including workplace canteens (but not including cafes or canteens at hospitals, care homes, prisons, establishments intended for the use of naval, military or air force purposes and for providing food or drink to the homeless)
• Social clubs
• Cinemas
• Theatres
• Casinos
• Bingo halls and concert halls
• Amusement arcades or other indoor leisure centres or facilities
• Static/fixed funfairs (indoors or outdoors), theme parks, and adventure parks and activities
• Travelling funfairs are also prohibited

During opening hours (5am to 10pm), venues serving alcohol must operate table service only for food and drinks – this includes ordering. Those venues who don’t serve alcohol can operate counter service, but the consumption of food and drinks should take place at a table as much as possible.

As elsewhere in the country, venues must also take details of customers for NHS Test and Trace from September 18.


 

20. What about takeaways?

Hot food takeaways should close to walk-ins between 10pm and 5am each day, but they can continue to operate a delivery service during these hours, via a website, telephone, text message, post, or by ‘drive-throughs’.

 

21. Can I still go to a hospitality venue, like a pub or restaurant, or meet up outdoors for example in a park or at the beach with family and friends there who don’t live with me?

You are advised to only visit these venues with other members of your household (or support bubble).

 

22. Why can I visit the pub but not my relative’s house?

This is because the hospitality industry has enhanced measures, such as risk assessments and test and trace, which private homes don’t have.

 

23. Are there restrictions on weddings, civil partnerships and funerals?

There are no changes to the national guidance for funerals – up to 30 people can attend a funeral.

From Monday 28 September, weddings and civil partnerships and receptions are limited to up to 15 people.

24. What are the changes to playing sports?

Northumberland FA guidance - restrictions beginning Thursday 24 September 2020. 

25. Can I travel to play sport outside of the areas with restrictions?

Yes. Please wear a face covering if using public transport unless exempt.

 

26. Can I go to the gym, gym class, leisure centre or a swimming pool?

Yes, as long as these venues have the required Covid-secure risk assessments and guidelines in place.

 

27. Can I have someone in my house (or go into someone’s house) to do repairs or other work?

Official/registered tradespeople can go to other people’s homes for work purposes as long as you follow national guidance on how to work safely there.

 

28. Can I still go on holiday?

You can still go on holiday within the UK or abroad, but you should only do this with people you live with (or have formed a support bubble with). You need to follow any rules in the area you visit and be aware of the self-isolation rules when travelling to and from certain countries.

People can visit the region on holiday but must comply with the local restrictions.

 

29. What about public transport and car sharing?

 

30. Are the airport, train stations and ports still open?

Newcastle Airport, train stations and ports remain open and members of the public are permitted to travel to and from these locations.

 

31. Can I move home?

Yes

 

32. What support is available for medically vulnerable residents?

Northumberland Communities Together Response Hub can connect residents with the support they need if family or friends are not nearby. Phone 01670 620015 between 9am to 6pm, seven days a week.

• Website: www.northumberland.gov.uk/communitiestogether
• Email: communitiestogether@northumberland.gov.uk
• Facebook@nlandtogether
• Twitter: @NlandTogether
• Language translator: If English is not your preferred language you can ask the advisor to use a translator while on the call.
• Type talk: 01800 10845 600 6400

If you are deaf or can’t speak on the phone, contact us using Relay UK. Download the Relay UK app or using your existing text phone prefix our dedicated text Relay number: 018001 01670 623 515

British Sign Language users can now contact the Northumberland Communities Together Response Hub using SignVideo Web Access, an online sign language interpreting service. To contact us using this service use: northumberlandcc-covid.signvideo.net

 

33. What do I do if I see someone breaking the rules in Northumberland?

Concerned about a person breaking the rules?

Where people are breaking the rules, we will seek to engage, explain and encourage them to adhere to the restrictions. However, enforcement action will be taken where appropriate.

If an individual is breaching restrictions, you can report it to Northumbria Police. To do so, where possible, people are asked to use the reporting tool on the force’s website www.northumbria.police.uk. Alternatively, you can call 101. The police will assess the circumstances to determine the appropriate action.

Once the legislation is in place, the police or the local authority will be able to take action against those who break these rules, including asking people to disperse and issuing fixed penalty notices starting at £100.

People aged 18 or over will be able to be fined:

• · £100 for the first offence, lowered to £50 if paid within 14 days
• · £200 for the second offence, then doubling for each further offence up to a maximum of £3,200

Concerned about a business in Northumberland breaking the rules?

If you have concerns that a business or venue in Northumberland is not following the guidance, you can report it to Northumberland County Council by completing this online form. 

 

 

34. Where do I find information on infection rates?

• You can find information on the Government’s website here.

Your questions about testing sites

Are testing sites run by Northumberland County Council?

No. Testing sites are run by the Government’s Department of Health and Social Care as part of the drive to improve the accessibility of COVID-19 testing for communities, as such they are responsible for the operation of all sites.

What are testing sites?

These testing sites are semi-permanent, purpose-built locations where members of the public who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 can be tested for the virus. These sites are walk-through sites which means they are accessible on foot, as opposed to drive-through. However appointments are still required before attending.

Where are the testing sites?

Northumberland has two testing sites;

1. Peoples Park car park, Institute Road, Ashington, NE63 8HP - operational from Saturday 19 September
2. Marine Terrace car park, Blyth, NE24 2LL - operational from Tuesday 22 September

When are they open?

8am to 8pm, 7 days per week.

Are the testing sites safe?

Yes. Sites will have detailed clinical operating procedures in place which have been developed in collaboration with clinical experts. Layouts at walk-through testing sites have been carefully designed to ensure people can move around them safely and prevent spread of the virus. Social distancing will be maintained throughout the testing process, and people attending the sites are asked to wear a face-covering.

Do the testing sites pose any risk to the surrounding areas?

No. Both testing sites have been risk assessed, to ensure they do not pose any health and safety risks to the surrounding areas. This has been confirmed by the Council’s Health and Safety team.

Do I need an appointment to attend?

YES. It is important that anyone requiring a test makes a booking before attending any test site. This will ensure that sites have enough capacity to meet demand and prevent them from becoming overcrowded.

When should I request a test?

You should only book a test if you have been asked to do so by a doctor or a public health professional or by your local council, or if you are showing one or more symptoms of COVID-19. These are;

• A new and persistent cough
• Fever
• Sudden loss of sense of taste or smell

How do I book a test?

You can book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by phoning 119.

Can I book a test through the Council?

No. The Department of Health and Social Care is responsible for the operation of testing sites, and any appointment slots must be booked online via nhs.uk/coronavirus or gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by phoning 119.

Can I request a test even if I don’t have symptoms?

No. It is essential that tests are reserved for those who are currently showing symptoms of COVID-19.  Even if you have been instructed to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace system, you should only book a test if you yourself are showing symptoms of the virus.

Should I get a test if I have come into contact with a person who has suspected COVID-19?

You should only request a test if you have developed symptoms of COVID-19. If someone you have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19 you will be contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service, at which point you will be instructed to self-isolate for 14 days. Again, you should only request a test if you yourself are showing symptoms of COVID-19, otherwise you should carry out the full period of self-isolation as instructed. Remember, you will only be contacted by the Test and Trace service if someone you have been in contact with has been confirmed to have the virus.

How do I get to the testing site?

If you are attending a site for a COVID-19 test, it is essential you do not use taxis or public transport to get there. Walking or cycling is recommended if you are unable to drive. Be sure to wash your hands before you leave the house and avoid touching surfaces unnecessarily on your way.

Do I need to bring anything with me to the test?

You will be asked to bring your booking confirmation and a form of ID. You should also wear a face-covering at all times when attending the test site, only removing it at the moment you take your test.

What will happen when I arrive for my test?

You will be asked to sanitise your hands upon arrival and ensure you maintain a 2-metre distance from others. You may be asked to queue and there may be bags checks in place. When inside the testing tent, your confirmation message and ID will be checked, and you will be given a testing kit. A member of staff will then direct you to a testing booth where you will carry out your test.

Who will conduct the test and what does it entail?

You will conduct the test yourself, which will consist of 2 swabs – one from the nose and one from the mouth. Full instructions will be given, and staff will be there to offer support should you encounter any issues.

How long do the tests take?

Slots for testing are 20 minutes, although you may be required to queue before entering the site.

Do I need to do anything after my test?

You should return straight home after your test without stopping anywhere else. You should then register online using the link on your test registration card and the remaining barcode from your test kit.

When will I receive my result?

You should receive your result within 72 hours. There are 3 types of result you can get:

• negative
• positive
• unclear, void, borderline or inconclusive

What should I do if my test is positive?

A positive result means you had coronavirus when the test was done.

If your test is positive, you must self-isolate immediately.

• If you had a test because you had symptoms, keep self-isolating for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started.
• If you had a test but have not had symptoms, self-isolate for 10 days from when you had the test.

Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, must self-isolate for 14 days from when you start self-isolating.

What should I do if my test is negative?

A negative result means the test did not find coronavirus.

 You do not need to self-isolate if your test is negative, as long as:

• everyone you live with who has symptoms tests negative
• everyone in your support bubble who has symptoms tests negative
• you were not told to self-isolate for 14 days by NHS Test and Trace. If you were, you must keep self-isolating for the rest of the 14 days from when you were last in contact with the person who has coronavirus – as you could get symptoms after being tested. However, anyone you live with and those in your support bubble can stop self-isolating if they do not have symptoms
• you feel well – if you feel unwell, stay at home until you’re feeling better

Note: If you have diarrhoea or you’re being sick, stay at home until 48 hours after they've stopped.

What should I do if my test result is unclear, void, borderline or inconclusive?

An unclear, void, borderline or inconclusive result means it's not possible to say if you had coronavirus when the test was done.

You must get another coronavirus test as soon as possible if this happens.

If you had a test because you had symptoms, you must keep self-isolating and have another test within 5 days of your symptoms starting.

If you’re not able to have another test in time, you must self-isolate for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started. Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, must self-isolate for 14 days.

If you had a test but have not had any symptoms, you do not need to self-isolate while you wait to get another test. People you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, do not need to self-isolate.

What should I do if I haven’t received my result within 72 hours?

When you book your appointment, you will receive a confirmation message that will include a contact number which you can phone if you do not receive your test result within 72 hours.

If my test is positive does that mean I’m now immune to COVID-19?

No. There is no evidence to suggest that a person develops immunity from COVID-19 after being infected.

Will this test tell me if I have had COVID-19 in the past?

No. This test can only tell you whether you are currently infected with COVID-19.

Social Care

How do we provide home care to residents, including those we do not yet know about, without compromising the health of residents and staff?

A robust plan is in place to ensure that those residents that need support receive it.

We are working with partner agencies to ensure that we minimise visits to each individual (i.e 1 visit instead of 3 separate agencies) and have met with carer providers to identify people they are working with that were not known to our service, so we can provide advice and support. 

What provisions are in place to protect the most vulnerable of our residents in residential care homes and sheltered accomodation?

Public Health, Adult and Children's social care, and Housing colleagues are working closely to ensure that there is strong communication, resources, and support available across the county, promoting good public health messages and ensuring that workers and residents are aware of the current resources available to them. 

• Click here for government guidance on residential care, supported living and home care during a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

How are we going to support families of those in 'at-risk' age and medical groups to care for their relatives, stay safe themselves and continue in their employment?

The Council has a lead role in providing support to those residents who are 'shielding'. Click here for information about how to access national support. 

• Click here for government guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK, and for protecting older people and vulnerable adults

What is going to happen with community outreach programmes, particularly for those with physical and mental disabilities?

Senior managers reviewed all our services to assess which should be temporarily suspended or delivered differently within communities. Critical services will be maintained at all times, although these may need to be delivered differently.

Are there any plans to close the day centres that vulnerable and disabled adults go to?

As a result of Public Health advice about social distancing, many of the people who usually attend day services told us that they did not want to continue going during the crisis. Most of the organisations providing day services have decided as a result to suspend their operations, and the Council has also suspended operation of its own day services.