Pubs, restaurants, cafes and cinemas in Southport and Formby must close by 10pm each night from today (Tuesday, 22 September 2020) as new local lockdown measures come into force.
Customers enjoying hospitality for food and drink will also be restricted to table service only.
Residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubbles in private homes and gardens.
Residents are also advised to only to use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work, as well as avoiding attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.
Merseyrail has already announced thew new restrictions in place on its services from today.
The new rules were announced by the Government last week and will be introduced this week in Sefton and other areas within Merseyside, plus Warrington, Halton and Lancashire (excluding Blackpool. Parts of the Midlands and West Yorkshire will also see new restrictions.
Positive Covid-19 cases were recorded at schools in Southport on Monday, with a number of students asked to isolate and take up home learning for a few days.
Yesterday Southport Pleasurerland announced that it is ending its Summer season now due to the rising figures, but hopes to be back open this November.
Read More: Covid-19: Merseyrail issues advice as rail travel reverts to essential use only
The UK’s coronavirus alert level has tonight been upgraded from 3 to 4, meaning transmission is “high or rising exponentially”, its chief medical officers have said.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock earlier told the House of Commons that The World Health Organisation has confirmed that the number of new cases in Europe is now higher than during the peak in March. In the UK, ONS figures indicate 6,000 new infections a day, almost double the previous week.
Today’s figures in Merseyside, for the last seven day are:
(Rate of infection in cases per 100,000 followed by number of new Covid-19 cases, seven days to September 18 in the left column, followed by figures for the previous week):
Liverpool 155.0 (772), 101.6 (506)
Knowsley 141.9 (214), 100.1 (151)
Wirral 118.2 (383), 96.3 (312)
St Helens 115.7 (209), 99.7 (180)
Sefton 93.3 (258), 53.9 (149)
The Zetland pub in Southport said: “With effect from Tuesday 22nd of September we will be operating under the new government guidelines. When you come into the pub please find a seat and order your drinks by text and they will be brought to your table.
“We have also got to obey the new government curfew so last orders will be at 9.30pm to abide by the 1 pm curfew.”
Pippins Licensed Coffee House, on Chapel Street in Southport said: “As per the new rules, all restaurants as of tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd September 2020, we will now only be able to serve customers at their table. Therefore, it is table service for the foreseeable.
To help you all and to avoid confusion, we have designed a menu for every table to allow you to decide what you’d like.
Please stay seated as much as possible and wait for a member of staff to serve you.
Please also bare with us if we’re a bit slow too! This is a new system for Pippins to implement and we will do our very best to adapt ASAP!”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a statement in the House of Commons on Tuesday, where he is expected to announce new measures to control the spread of coronavirus.
Pubs, bars and restaurants throughout England will be forced to close at 10pm from Thursday, Boris Johnson will announce in a new coronavirus crackdown.
In a statement confirming their recommendation on moving to level 4, the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said cases were now “rising rapidly and probably exponentially in significant parts of all four nations”.
They urged people to follow Government guidelines “to avoid significant excess deaths and exceptional pressure in the NHS” over the autumn and winter.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the move reflected “the significant shift in the current threat posed by coronavirus”.
“This country now faces a tipping point in its response and it is vital everybody plays their part now to stop the spread of the virus and protect lives,” he said.
The alert level, which is recommended by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, was reduced from level 4 to 3 on 19 June – which indicated the virus was “in general circulation” but there could be a “gradual relaxation of restrictions”.
The proposed upgrading comes as the PM prepares to chair a Cobra emergency meeting on Tuesday morning – which will be attended by the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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