All over the world, Coronavirus is on the rise. As of October 22, 2020, the number of cases worldwide has grown to 42,006,178 and there have been 1,140,759 deaths. In the UK, where I live, the number of Coronavirus cases increased to 810,467 and there have been 44,347 deaths in total.
The government had first announced the rule of six on September 14, 2020. This means that only six people are allowed to meet socially indoors and outdoors. If there are social gatherings of more than six people then they would be breaking the law.
Because the rate of infection has quadrupled over the last few weeks, the government has further introduced more restrictions to fight against the pandemic.
Three-Tier Lockdown Rules
On October 12, 2020 the government introduced new 3-tier lockdown rules in the hope that these new measures would help to reduce the spread of the disease. Each tier is explained below.
Tier 1: Medium – The rule of six still applies to people who can meet both indoors and outdoors. If people are caught breaking the rule of six, they will be fined £200 for a first offence. Unfortunately, pubs and restaurants have to close at 10pm. If they don’t follow the rules, they will be fined £10,000.
Tier 2: High – If Coronavirus cases have been showing a consistent growth over the last few weeks, then the infected areas will move to a tier two restriction. This means that households will not be able to mix indoors in any setting which includes pubs, restaurants, homes, or leisure and hospitality venues. The rule of six still applies outdoors, which includes meeting in private gardens and parks. Pubs and restaurants will still have to close at 10pm.
Tier 3: Very High – This is the highest tier and many areas in the UK have been escalated to this restriction because the infection rates have not decreased. The tier three restriction means that households must not meet indoors, or in private gardens. The rule of six still applies in outdoor spaces including parks. Pubs and bars which don’t serve meals will be closed. Gyms may also be forced to close. Travel to and from tier 3 areas will be discouraged.
How to Protect Yourself Against Coronavirus
This pandemic does not seem like it is going away, and until there is a vaccine, we must continue to do whatever we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones from getting infected.
We must wash our hands regularly and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. If we are in an area where we can’t wash our hands, the next best thing to do is to use a hand sanitizer.
We must cover our faces when we go out. This is to protect ourselves and others from catching Coronavirus. You need to cover your face when travelling on public transport such as the bus or train, when shopping in stores, and in areas where social distancing may be difficult.
Furthermore, we need to stay two meters apart from other people. If this is not possible, especially when we’re at work, then we should try to keep one meter apart from others, ensuring that there are extra precautions in place.
For example, cashiers now have screens placed on the counters to protect them from customers getting too close. We have to do everything we can to reduce the spread of Coronavirus.
There are measures in place which may make us feel uncomfortable for a while, but the laws and restrictions that the government has introduced are there to protect us and to save lives. Let us, therefore, follow the guidelines and stay safe.
