The new regulations, designed to contain a re-outbreak of the coronavirus by making it illegal for groups of more than six people to meet in England, will be in effect for the “foreseeable future,” the Minister of Health said. Matt Hancock, said, although he hopes the situation could change before Christmas.
As part of strengthening police assistance measures, gatherings of more than half a dozen people indoors or outdoors will be banned from Monday, with some exceptions, including in schools, workplaces, and for life events such as weddings or funerals.
Under the current rules for England, the guidelines limit most gatherings to six people or no more than two households or household bubbles, but the law allows a higher limit of 30 people.
The government is taking action following a sudden increase in infections, with nearly 8,500 positive tests for Covid-19 registered in England in three days. Anyone who breaks the rule faces a fine of £ 100 for the first offense and up to £ 3200 for those who repeatedly violate the measure.
The UK government continues to be under pressure over Covid-19 testing capabilities and Hancock is defending his solution to the situation. On Wednesday, he suggested that a quarter of the people who were going to take the tests were not eligible because they had no symptoms.
Asked if the six-person rule could still be in effect at Christmas, Hancock said on BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “This is absolutely true for the foreseeable future. I really hope we can fix this before Christmas. “
When asked if people should be prepared for the new rules to be in effect at Christmas, Hancock replied: “I think Christmas is still a long way from a pandemic.
“Three months is a long time for a pandemic, and I really hope this is a stricter rule, along with the local action we’ve taken in places like Bolton … I really hope it works to get it done by Christmas.”
Hancock also said the government was going to make it mandatory for pubs and restaurants to collect customer data for a verification and tracking program that has so far been voluntary.
He said today: “We’re also going to be more strict about the rules regarding hospitality, including, for example, the fact that you have to provide your contact information when you go to the hotel, which has been voluntary until now. Many in the hospitality industry have followed suit … but some just chose not to, so we’ll make it mandatory as well. “
On Tuesday, the government immediately took a series of tougher measures in Bolton to tackle a spike in Covid-19 cases where restaurants and pubs were restricted to take-out food, and restrictions were imposed on opening hours late into the night. The government is reportedly considering imposing a local curfew in areas such as Bradford, where cases have also increased, and this will mimic the actions in Belgium.
In a separate interview Wednesday with Sky News, Hancock defended the verification and tracking system. After it was revealed that some people were being asked to travel long distances in order to get tested for the virus, criticism sparked more and more. However, Hancock said the problems were caused by people without symptoms who requested tests. When asked if the system is malfunctioning, Hancock said, “I completely reject … this charge is actually quite the opposite.”
He said that the country has the largest per capita testing system of any major European country, adding: which have no symptoms.
“About 25% of people who come forward [for tests] do not have symptoms and do not fit, ”he said.