A BAN on households mixing with other people has come into immediate effect in a bid reduce Bolton's rising rate of coronavirus infections.

Bolton Council together with Public Health England have issued new additional measures for Bolton to stop the spread of the virus.

New figures show the rate of cases in Bolton is the highest recorded to date and the borough continues to have the highest rate of new cases in England. The age group of 18-49 account for more than 90 per cent of the cases.

The new measures only affect Bolton and not other parts of Greater Manchester.

Changes in restrictions

People from different households must not meet anywhere inside or outside. This means NOT

- mixing with other households in any setting indoors or outdoors anywhere. This does not apply if you are in a support bubble.

- hosting people in the home or garden, unless they are part of that household's support bubble. A household is only the people who live together. A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with any other household. Households within a bubble can still visit each other, stay overnight, and visit public places together.

-meeting other people in their home or garden

-meeting other people in another venue indoors or outdoors such as a pub, restaurant, park, etc

-travelling into another area to meet people in their home or garden or other venue

-travelling outside of Bolton to meet people other than those in your support bubble.

AND

- only using public transport for essential purposes, which means travel to education, work, and essential appointments only eg hospital appointments

What you can do

Visit public places like cafes, restaurants, gyms or shops but only with members of the same household.

CHILDCARE

People can continue to use registered childcare provision, including childminders and holiday childcare providers, and employ nannies.

Friends or family cannot visit your home to help with childcare unless they are part of your support bubble. The only people who can help you with childcare in your home are people you live with, people in your support bubble, or registered childcare providers including nannies.

People can still meet outdoors, such as parks, for childcare in groups of two households, or up to 6 people from multiple households.

Children of parents who are separated are allowed to move between households.

Workers visiting your home

People can still come inside your home for specific purposes, such as when they’re doing so as part of their work, including cleaners, formal childcare providers and repair workers.

WORK/ WEDDINGS/ TRAVEL AND WORSHIP

People can continue to travel in and out of Bolton for work.

Places of worship remain open

Weddings, civil partnerships and funerals can still go ahead with no more than 20 people in total and should be limited to household members and close family of the people getting married, entering the civil partnership or the person who has died, or people who live(d) or formed a support bubble with them.

A close friend can attend a funeral only if there are no household members or immediate families.

People living outside of the area can travel to the area to attend a wedding, civil partnership or funeral, but they should not meet with another household in a private home or garden.

People should avoid sharing a car with those outside the immediate household or support bubble.

But if absolutely necessary then:

share the transport with the same people each time

keep to small groups of people at any one time

open windows for ventilation

travel side by side or behind other people, rather than facing them

face away from each other

consider seating arrangements to maximise distance between people in the vehicle

clean your car between journeys using standard cleaning products – make sure you clean door handles and other areas that people may touch

ask the driver and passengers to wear a face covering

Holidays outside of the area are allowed, but only with people in the same household or support bubble

People can still move home and view houses

Sports activities should not take place with people from different households, unless this is formally organised by a sports clubs or similar organisation.