Date:
(News source: Surrey Local Resilience Forum)
Surrey’s Local Resilience Forum (SLRF) are working together to ensure that they support residents and businesses across Surrey in dealing with the latest COVID19 restrictions announced by the Prime Minister on Saturday 31 October 2020.
The Forum which is made up of representatives from the emergency services, health, hospitals, the county council, borough and district councils across Surrey, aims to ensure that there is a coordinated response to major incidents, threats and risks across the county to keep people safe and protect them from harm.
Chair of the Forum, Steve Owen-Hughes, the Chief Fire Officer for Surrey, said: “Since March Surrey’s Local Resilience Forum have been working together to manage the county wide response to COVID19.
“Following the announcement by the Prime Minister we will continue to work together to deliver what is needed for the people of Surrey to help them manage the latest restrictions.
“Over the last few weeks, we have seen a rapid rise in the infection rates across large parts of Surrey. This is causing my colleagues and I considerable concern. With hospital admissions rising from this deadly disease we need everyone to follow the Government’s advice to stay home and only leave for specific reasons, including education and work, where you cannot work from home.
“Although non-essential businesses, bars and restaurants, must close, except for takeaway services, supermarkets and chemists will remain open so there is no need to panic or to bulk buy.
“The people of Surrey have already risen to this challenge once and I have no doubt that they will rise to this challenge again. It is only by us all working together and taking steps that we can halt the progress of this deadly and unpredictable disease.”
Under the new restrictions:
- People are being told to stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave, such as work, which cannot be done from home, and for education purposes.
- School, colleges and universities will remain open.
- People are also allowed to leave home for exercise, medical reasons, to buy food and other essential shopping and to provide care for vulnerable people or for volunteering.
- Meeting family and friends indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed.
- People are still allowed to form support bubbles.
- Children can move between homes if their parents are separated.
- Outdoor recreation is encouraged, you can meet one person from another household outside in a public place.
- Pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential retail must close, but takeaways and click-and-collect shopping can remain open.
- Leisure and entertainment venues, including gyms, will also close.
- Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can remain open.
- Clinically vulnerable people are asked to be “especially careful”, but people are not being asked to resume shielding.
The new restrictions come into force from 0001 on Thursday 5 November 2020 and will remain in place until Wednesday 2 December.