Thread by @AdamWagner1

🚨New lockdown regulations just published, in force tomorrow

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 3) and (All Tiers) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/8/pd…

(Thread)

These are not a new set of regulations: they are amendments an old set of regulations

Which we thought were gone! But they are back

Welcome back No.3 regulations

A quick thing before we continue!

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They also amend the All Tiers regulations

Oh god it's all amendments by paragraph references

Basically all of England now in Tier 4 and Tier 4 is amended but not by a huge amount

This really is a terrible way to make laws on the fly - who can possibly understand it?!

So, to explain, you need 2 documents open if you want to understand what is going on:

All Tiers regulations (Tiers 1-4, 2 December as amended) legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1374…

And amendments legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/8/pd…

No sensible way of doing except by track changes, on it now, back soon

First thing to go is "open air recreation" which is what we suspected based on the guidance.

So this means that you can go out for exercise (or any other listed reasonable excuse) but not to recreate (is that the verb?).

Before I go on - this is going to sound a bit abstract unless I explain that the new "lockdown" is an amendment to the Tier 4 restrictions. Tier 4 was a lockdown but slightly less strict than March.

This is my thread on Tier 4 - perhaps read that first

https://twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1340568872655708161?s=20

Some minor changes here to Exception 1 to being outside the home ("leaving home necessary for certain purposes").

Key point is the original reasons - work, voluntary services etc. etc. are still there

"public outdoor place" can't include sports grounds or facilities

Important to see that you still don't count a child under 5 or person with disability who needs continuous care when you are with someone from another household for exercise

Not in the guidance I think but maybe they don't want to publicise

Next change is to para 13 so the exceptions almost all stay in - see last thread

https://twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1340602518057988096?s=20

Paras 13 and 14 are about childcare. Some small but important changes:

I think it means that you can only provide informal childcare for "critical workers" in very limited circumstances

Tell me if I'm wrong

Children's outdoor sports gatherings removed as a reasonable excuse - we knew that from the guidance

Parents and child groups no longer permitted

What is important really is how similar this is to Tier 4:
- No open air recreation
- No parents and child groups
- More limited informal childcare options (I think)
- No children's sport or other outdoor sport such as tennis)
But otherwise its very similar

Elite sport and sport for people with disabilities is still permitted

Also well trailed in the announcements is the closure of outdoor sports facilities such as swimming, gyms, sports grounds

No alcohol takeaway

Have to pop off to eat, back later! That's basically it though, not much else changed from Tier 4

Oh, before I go, so as not to build tension, here's what's not in the law which is in the guidance :
- Time limit on outdoor exercise;
- Geographical limit on outdoor exercise
- Travel between areas.

I was indeed partly wrong on informal childcare, apologies

https://twitter.com/surreysknight/status/1346531719810322432

Charles has it here

https://twitter.com/charlescholland/status/1346517880922198016