- Manchester City Council has published the following:
- Don’t socialise indoors (house, pub, etc) or in your garden with people outside your household. (Household means people you live with).*
- Don’t socialise outdoors in more than groups of six*
In Manchester, our additional restrictions mean that the rule of 6 only applies outdoors – you still can’t meet anyone from another household indoors.
*However, the rules above don’t apply if you are in a support bubble. A support bubble is when an adult who lives on their own or lives alone with children can join up with one other household.
Plus, Manchester also needs to follow new Government restrictions which started on Thursday 24 September and will be in place for 6 months.
New Government restrictions came into effect from Thursday 24 September, these also apply to Manchester
As well as Manchester’s rules (listed above), there are new national changes we also have to follow.
The Prime Minister announced further changes to Covid-19 related guidance, with changes in place for a number of public venues and new requirements to wear face coverings for retail, hospitality staff and taxi drivers.
In response to an increase in coronavirus infections, the following restrictions have been put in place.
- All pubs, bars and restaurants must offer a table service only, except for takeaways. They must shut also at 10pm.
- Takeaways will also be required to shut their premises to the public at 10pm, but deliveries can still take place.
- Retail workers, taxi drivers and passengers must wear face coverings. This also applies to customers and staff in hospitality, except when eating and drinking.
- Covid-compliance guidelines for businesses will become law, with fines being enforced if they are not followed.
- Penalties have also become more severe, with the government setting a £200 fine for a first offence when breaking the rule of 6 or not wearing a mask when required.
- People are advised to work from home if they can.
From Monday 28 September
- A maximum of 15 people will be allowed to attend weddings and receptions. The current maximum of 30 people attending funerals will remain in place.
- Sporting venues that can’t currently host spectators inside (such as the Etihad Stadium or Old Trafford) will not be able to allow people in from October as initially planned.
- The rule of six will now also apply to indoor sports, no more than six people will be allowed to take part in sporting activity together in any indoor environment.
The Prime Minister suggested that these measures could remain in place for six months, but further restrictions are possible if the rate of infection isn’t reduced sufficiently.
For more information on the restrictions visit the Council’s website.
Advice for people needing to self isolate due to Covid-19
Have you been asked to stay at home (self-isolate) if you have tested positive for Coronavirus, or have been asked to stay home for 14 days (self-isolate) by NHS Test and Trace teams, this means you must not leave the house, so:
- Do not go to work or school
- Do not go on public transport or use taxis
- Do not go out to get food and medicine – order it online or by phone or ask someone to bring it to your home
- Do not have visitors and family members (you don’t live with) in your home – only people providing essential care
- Do not go out to exercise
- Do go and get a test for COVID 19 if you have symptoms by calling 119 or NHS online
The new self-isolation law from 28 September 2020
From 28 September 2020, to further stop the spread, all of us will be required by law to self-isolate if we test positive for Covid-19 or if we are identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive by the NHS Test & Trace scheme.
What will happen if I don’t self-isolate?
If you do not self-isolate, there is a fine of £1,000 for breaching self-isolation rules, but this could increase to up to £10,000 for repeat offences and serious breaches, including if you prevent others from self-isolating (for example, if you own a business and threaten self-isolating staff with redundancy if they do not go to work).
Self-isolation Payment Scheme
To support people whose earnings are affected by staying at home and isolating for 14 days, the Government has set up the Self-isolation Payment Scheme where eligible residents can apply to their Local Authority for a one off Self-isolation Payment of £500.
The scheme launches on 28 September and we are working quickly to set up the application and administration of the scheme by 12 October. Eligible residents who start to self-isolate from 28 September will be able to apply once the scheme is up and running on 12 October.
Read more about the scheme’s eligibility criteria here.
New NHS Covid-19 app
As part of the national Test and Trace service, the NHS has launched an app designed to help control virus transmission, alongside local contact tracing.
The app, which can be downloaded for free on a smartphone, uses QR code technology so that users can scan to ‘check in’ on their way into hospitality and other public venues, creating a digital record of where they have been that is stored on their phone.
People will receive an alert through the app with advice on what to do, if their phone detects they were near someone later found to have Covid-19.
Places where you will be able to ‘check in’ include:
- hospitality services, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés
- tourism and leisure services, including hotels, museums, cinemas and amusement arcades
- close contact services, including hairdressers, barbershops and tailors
- facilities provided by Local Authorities, including community centres, libraries and village halls
The app is available in the following languages:
- English
- Welsh
- Bengali
- Urdu
- Gujarati
- Punjabi (Gurmukhi script)
- Chinese (Simplified)
- Romanian
- Turkish
- Arabic (Modern Standard)
Additional languages and refinements will follow.
For more information about the app including privacy information and an instructional video in British Sign Language visit https://covid19.nhs.uk For information about the app in alternative languages visit our resource hub.
Download the app for free:
Help protect yourself, and others.
 Key advice for parents, young families and schools about Covid-19 My name is David Regan and I’m Manchester’s Director of Public Health. I know how difficult it can be at the moment with digesting Covid-19 advice – so I’ve answered some of the frequently asked questions from parents about their children in relation to school.I also hope that these answers will help employers to understand when their staff need to self-isolate linked to a situation with their child:How do I know what’s a Covid symptom and what’s a normal cold?The key signs of Coronavirus are a high temperature, or a new continuous cough, or a loss/ change in taste or smell.A continuous cough means coughing a lot for more than an hour; or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours. And if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual.A high temperature in children is defined as 38 degrees C.What do I do if my child has Covid symptoms?Your child should not got to school;Arrange a test for your child;Your whole household needs to stay at home (self-isolate) while waiting for test and test resultInform school immediately of the results.Your child can go back to school if the test comes back negative and he or she has been symptom-free for 48 hours.What happens if I as the parent/ carer gets Covid symptoms? Can my child go to school?Your child must not go to school;You as the parent/ carer must get a test;Your whole household needs to self-isolate while you wait for the results;Then let school know the result straight away.Your child can go back to school if your test is negative, and your child does not have Covid symptoms.What happens if someone in my household has Covid symptoms? Can my child go to school?Your child should not go to school;Household member with symptoms should get a test;The whole household needs to self-isolate while waiting for the test result;Let school know immediately what the result is.Your child can go back to school if the household member test is negative, and if your child does not have Covid symptoms.What happens if a child or teacher has a confirmed case of Covid in my child’s class?Schools will send other children or staff home to self isolate when they are assessed to have been in close contact with the positive case. In these circumstances, no other member of the household is required to self isolate as well unless the child/adult who is self isolating develops symptoms. In these circumstances your child should continue to access education provided by the school while they are at home. In general schools will only send children home if someone in their bubble has a confirmed case of Covid, or if there is a large outbreak at school.How do I book a Covid test?You should only book a test if you have symptoms. You should stay home and book a test for as soon as possible on www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by ringing 119. You may have to try a few times – but please keep trying while the system is so busy.You won’t be able to get a test by going to A&E, your GP or ringing 111. You should only use these services if you have a medical need.What happens if the NHS Test and Trace identifies my child as a ‘close contact’ with someone who tests positive for Covid-19?Your child should not go to school; Your child needs to self-isolate for 14 days. NB there is no point in arranging a test unless your child develops symptoms – he/ she will still have to self-isolate for 14 days even if the test was negative because the virus develops at different speeds in different people;The rest of the household does not need to self-isolate, unless they are found to be a close contact too. |
Protect yourself from flu
It’s more important than ever to understand and recognise the symptoms of flu. Don’t forget, if you’re worried about your symptoms and think it could be coronavirus, you can get advice about coronavirus symptoms and what to do.
You can help to protect yourself and others from the flu by following some basic hygiene guidance. As with coronavirus, washing your hands for longer and more frequently can be a huge help.
Using tissues to trap coughs and sneezes, and binning them as soon as possible. We all know the rules, catch it, bin it, kill it. We can all help prevent the spread of flu and other viruses to others around us.
This year it’s more important than ever for the people who need it most to get vaccinated. We want to help protect against the double threat of flu and coronavirus this winter.
GPs working across the city are already contacting patients who are in at-risk groups. If you’ve been contacted, book an appointment as soon as you are able. We are expecting an increased demand this year, so if you aren’t successful the first time round please keep trying.
For more information, visit nhs.uk
Manchester Community Response Hub
The Community Response Hub offers support to Manchester’s most vulnerable people to help them cope with the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. The Hub iis open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and can help with:
- Delivery of food
- Delivery of medication
- Combating loneliness
- Managing fuel top-up payments
- Getting access to services online
Help is also available for other reasons, for example, if you are a carer, care leaver or young carer.
If you need help freephone 0800 234 6123, email COVIDSupport@manchester.gov.uk or text 078600 22876 (messages responded to by the next working day), or visit manchester.gov.uk/coronavirus
Community Resource Hub
We have created an online resource hub of public safety information at www.manchester.gov.uk/resourcehub to support our communities through Covid-19. The assets available to download, listen to, view or share include information in alternative formats such as posters, videos, audio files and social media messages.
If you need to read the information on this page in an alternative language or to have it spoken back to you please use BrowseAloud.
Help with Debt, Bills and Borrowing
If you are not working or furloughed at the moment due to Covid-19 and need help with debt, bills or borrowing, visit www.manchester.gov.uk/helpinghands for advice and support.
Emergency Fund for Unpaid Carers
The Fund is open for carers (aged 16+) to ensure the ongoing health and wellbeing of both the carer and the person who needs care. This includes those households where a child or young person is the carer.
The funding can be used for transport costs (including taxis) or fuel, furniture, emergency delivery of food and one-off practical costs to help with the caring role at this time.
Carers can receive advice about accessing this financial support by ringing the Manchester Carers Contact Point: Mon-Fri 10am-4pm on 0161 543 8000 or their Young Carers Coordinator. Alternatively, carers can email: contactpoint@carersmanchester.org.uk or visit www.manchester.gov.uk/carers and click on the Carers Emergency Fund tab or www.carersmanchester.org.uk
Helpful links:
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UK government response: gov.uk/coronavirus
- Government travel advice: gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
- Guidance for employers and businesses: gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
- Help with debt, bills and borrowing: manchester.gov.uk/helpinghands
- NHS advice and information: nhs.uk/coronavirus
