Thread by @AdamWagner1

🚨The regulations for the next few months of Covid-19 restrictions are here

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps)
(England) Regulations 2021

Some big changes, including "Steps" (not tiers!) and the first proper holiday ban

(thread)

legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/364/…

First thing to say: this is another completely new system.

We have had national restrictions, local restrictions by separate regulations, the first lot of Tiers (1-3), a second national lockdown, new Tiers (1-3+) then Tier 4 added, third national lockdown

Now we have… Steps.

So, instead of being 4 tiers, there are 3 “steps”.

Step 1 is the most severe (confusingly as Tier 1 was the least severe)

Steps work like the Tiers, in that they apply to specific areas.

But at the moment, all we know is that Step 1 applies to all of England from 29 March

I considered really leaning I to the Steps theme, and starting sections of the thread with “Tragedy!” and other such hilarious references to this 1990s institution, but I couldn’t find the enthusiasm. I’m sorry, please add your own jokes.

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Come on, these are 94 pages long

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I will get on to what the Steps mean - although to ruin the surprise, they are basically the government’s roadmap put into law gov.uk/government/pub…

For long time followers, you will recognise the three steps as similar to the previous tiers 1-3

The steps will presumably kick in on the dates already set out by the govt in the roadmap (unless they change that). So

Step 1 - 29 March
Step 2 - Not before 12 April
Step 3 - Not before 17 May

And can I just say: releasing these a week before start coming into force, and in fact months before the other bits come into force, is a big 'step' up (if you excuse the pun) from the previous habit of doing it at the very last minute.

What about Step 4 (not before 21 June). Well, like Tier 4, this will I assume come later because… the government doesn’t want to get people excited?

But before we get there, let’s talk about international travel - the first really big new thing in these regulations.

The ban on travelling out of the United Kingdom without a reasonable excuse

"8.—(1) No person may, without a reasonable excuse—
(a) leave England to travel to a destination outside the United Kingdom, or
(b) travel to, or be present at, an embarkation point for the purpose of travelling from there to a destination outside the United Kingdom."

Note the careful wording - this isn’t a ban on being outside out of the UK without reasonable excuse. Because (I assume) UK authorities have no jurisdiction as to what happens outside.

The ban is on traveling to or being at an “embarkation point” to travel out of the UK.

Previously, the ‘holiday ban’ which the government had advertised was assumed rather than explicit - because going on holiday wasn’t a reasonable excuse, it was assumed you couldn’t be outside of your home to do so. But now it is explicit.

What are the potential reasonable excuses?

Spoiler: going on holiday isn’t one of them

Work, volunteering, studying, elite sports, legal obligations, medical reasons, care and assistance to vulnerable person, wedding of a close family member

Another quick break - the really excellent @BHumanPodcast discussion on the ethical and human rights implications of vaccine passports has just gone up on YouTube

Back to travel

If you do travel or are at an embarkation point without a reasonable excuse then you would be in line for a £5,000 (!) Fixed Penalty Notice

If you are travelling outside of the UK, you also have to fill in a ‘travel declaration form’ (this was recently added to the All Tiers Regulations, but those are disappearing so it's coming here - penalty for not doing so a lot less, £200

OK, now on to Steps 1, 2 and 3 and what they mean.

As I said, Step 1 begins on 29 March when these regulations come into force.

I'm not going to do this in detail as I have a meeting in 5 minutes but I'll tell you the big things.

Outdoor protest is back!

Well, socially distanced protest organised by "a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution, a public body or a political body"

Well done to everyone who campaigned for this, including my clients @ReclaimTS - though the position has been far too muddled and restricted in recent months, see tweets passim.

Annoyingly, to understand what a "political body" is, and it isn't quite what you think, you have to go to some random other regulations.

It can include individuals apparently

legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/649/…

Another big change in Step 1 from the current position is that rather than 2+ gatherings outdoors being banned, it's now back to the 'rule of 6' OR two households together - as the govt told us a few weeks ago

And, there is no longer a rule against leaving or being outside the home without a 'reasonable excuse' - unless you are at a travel embarkation point.

I do now have to take a break - will be back soon, please read amongst yourselves

I'm back 👋🏻

Still in 'Step 1', which is 29 March to (not before) 12 April

Basically, it's the current Tier 4 restrictions but:
- Protest
- Just gatherings outside and inside restricted, no 'don't leave/be outside home without reasonable excuse'

I'm not going to do all the exceptions - I have done them before and they are basically the same as the current lockdown

- work, volunteering, support groups, weddings up to 6, funerals up to 30, students can gather to come home for Easter, communal worship, picketing, voting...

What then changes on or after 12 April?

Step 2 is in Schedule 2

(improvement on Tier 4 being in Schedule 3A but these are very small mercies)

Pretty similar to Step 1, rule of 6 outside and 2 inside, ...

I should have said earlier that 'linked households' and 'childcare linked households' (known in the guidance, confusingly, as support bubbles and childcare bubbles) look exactly the same as previously.

Back to Step 2

'Non essential retail' opens, personal care e.g. hairdressers and nail salons, libraries, community centres, gyms

Marriages go from 6 to 15 people

As do commemorative events after a persons death

3rd image is from the roadmap not the regulations

Oh, from Step 1 day (29 March) outdoor sports permitted, but not kickabouts in park over 6 people/2 households, has to be organised within the meaning below. So you can book a pitch at 5-a-side but not organise one in the park for 10 people who dont live together. Got it?!

A lot of people understandably asking about the international travel ban.

This is a really big deal, doesn't e.g. allow couples who live in different countries to meet, but does allow parents who live in different countries to travel for childcare. Harsh - is it lawful?

Also, the international travel ban is not linked to any "Steps", it lasts until these regulations expire which is end of June. Obviously it is possible the govt will bring in new regulations before expiry which is what it has done 70 times since last year

Step 3, which I think is a lot like Tier 1 (remember the Tiers, when we made jokes about tears? Seems so many regulations ago) is basically:

Rule of 6 inside
Rule of 30 outside

The government roadmap explains it clearly - basically more businesses open, bigger outdoor events, 30-person weddings (attendees!)

There is a lot more - 94 pages, over 40,000 words, but a lot of it is rules we have seen before, or at least I have.

I will try to do a video soon

Then, from June, could we be... regulation free? I truly hope so

As legal articles all seem obliged to end: only time will tell

I think the reality is that many of these regulations will continue beyond June:

self-isolation
travel rules
face coverings
large gatherings

But who knows.

I actually searched 'famous Steps songs' to make a final joke but literally didn't recognise any of them except Tragedy

Sorry not to have highlighted this: The travel rules do not apply to the "Common Travel Area" which includes "the Islands (that is to say, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) or the Republic of Ireland" - see interpretation section and legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/77/…