The amendment Coronavirus Restriction Order implementing the new restrictions in England has been published and came into force at 12.01 a.m. on 14th September 2020.

This instrument amends The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations (S.I. 2020/684) (the “Original Regulations”) that came into force on 4 July 2020.

The previous amendment to the Regulations (The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No.2) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020) permitted the opening of; casinos, indoor skating rinks, indoor play areas, including soft play areas, bowling alleys and conference centres and exhibition halls. 

The provisions detailed in this latest amendment will come into force at 12.01 am on 14 September 2020.

This instrument makes a number of changes to the Original Regulations “to better enable the public health measures” to achieve the intended purpose of reducing public health risks posed by the coronavirus. In particular:

Regulation 5 of the Original Regulations is amended to provide for:

• The prohibition of a gathering of more than six people, one household or two households where they are linked households unless a valid exemption applies. 

The exemptions to the gatherings limit are (Regulation 5(3)):

• For an elite sportsperson, their coach (or where the elite sportsperson is a child, their parent) and the gathering is necessary for a competition or training;
• Where the gathering is reasonably necessary for work purposes; for the provision of voluntary or charitable services; for education or training; to provide childcare or to supervise activities for children; to provide emergency assistance; to enable the avoidance of injury or escape from the risk of harm; to provide care to or assistance to a vulnerable person; to facilitate access to and contact between parents and children where they do not live in the same household;
• To fulfil a legal obligation;
• Where the gathering is a support group;
• For gatherings of up to 30 persons for marriage or civil partnership;
• For gatherings for a significant event 

Additionally, regulation 1(4ZA) is inserted into the Original Regulations to provide that the gatherings restrictions in private dwellings contained in the Regional Lockdown Regulations remain in place. This affects: the Public Health (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Leicester) (No. 2) Regulations 2020; the Public Health (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford) Regulations 2020; the Public Health (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (North of England) Regulations 2020; and the Public Health (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Bolton) Regulations 2020 (together “the Restrictions”). Consequential amendments are also made to these regulations to facilitate this.

The police and local authorities will continue to monitor compliance with the Original Regulations, including the amendments set out in this instrument.

Explanatory Memorandum

• The Explanatory Memorandum to the Regulations can be viewed here.

Regulations including all amendments

• IoL Vice Chairman Gary Grant has provided a version of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020 including all amendments as of 14 September 2020.