Life in tier 2; what do things look like in Barnsley?

Yesterday, the new lockdown procedures become effective and we can expect to see some changes to the way we have previously been dealing with lockdown. The government has introduced a 3 tier system that sections the country off into tiers that tells them what guidance they have to follow to minimize new cases in that area.

At present, Barnsley finds itself in Tier 2 (High Tier), in the middle of the severity scale and we are working as a community to fall into the lowest tier. What does this mean for us at the minute?

• You must not mix with members of any other household in any indoor setting, including houses and restaurants.

• In outdoor settings, you may meet in groups of no more than SIX people at a time.

• You must always observe social distancing.

• Shopping and retail stores will remain open in this tier.

• Organized/licensed sporting activities may go ahead following social distancing procedures.

• Hospitalities remain with a 10pm curfew for people who wish to visit.

This is proportionate to the amount of positive cases of coronavirus in that area and is subject to change is cases rise or fall. As long as cases are below a certain figure indicating lower risk in that area, the public will be granted more permissions to live a more ‘normal’ life with less strict restrictions.

To try to minimise the spread of coronavirus this is the next step into keeping the country safe, and encouraging people to continue practicing previous procedures such as:

• Maintaining a 2 meter social distance

• Filling out track and trace forms when visiting business establishments 

• Washing hands frequently and for 20 seconds

• Wearing a face mask or covering in social areas to protect others

• Reducing unnecessary travel to other areas

• Self-isolate and get tested if you show signs of coronavirus

For more information or government guidelines, go to: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/news/barnsley-council-announces-its-updated-local-action-plan-to-reduce-coronavirus-covid-19-infection-rates/ Or visit the Gov.uk website to find out more.