COUNCILS in England are keeping their recycling, waste, street cleaning and other key services running during this challenging time.
So how does the third national coronavirus lockdown affect Brits wanting to take a carload of rubbish to their local dumps?
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
Are dumps open during lockdown?
England's third national Covid lockdown began at 12.01am on January 5, 2021. It applies until further notice.
Recycling centres remain open, however, a number of restrictions are in place, including social distancing, which may lead to queues.
Some local authorities – such as Sutton and Kent Councils – say that visits to the local dump are strictly by appointment only and must be booked in advance via their website.
They would prefer people to use their recycling, rubbish, garden waste and bulky waste home collection services instead.
Elsewhere, councils including Devon County, warn that local dumps "may need to close temporarily if queues start causing a safety hazard on the public highway and residents will be advised to come back later.
"Some sites may have large queues that take time to process – as such, sites may restrict further vehicles joining the queue towards the end of the day, to enable those already in the queue to be served before the site closes.
"Residents showing Covid-19 symptoms or who are self-isolating should not visit recycling centres as per Public Health England guidance."
Before loading your vehicle up with rubbish to dump at your nearby tip, it would be wise to double-check how your local authority is managing its waste collection facilities during the third lockdown.
What is open and closed during the lockdown?
Coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly across the country.
All non-essential shops, hair dressers and nail salons have shut in England as part of tough new lockdown restrictions.
Schools will shut until the February mid-term.
Also closed are:
- Barbers
- Tattoo and piercing shops
- Beauty salons
- Tanning salons
- Gyms
- Leisure centres
- Betting shops
- Vehicle showrooms (except for rentals)
- Tailors
- Tobacco and vape shops
- Market stalls selling non-essential goods
- Community centres (except for providing education and training)
- Bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed except for takeaway and delivery
- Hotels, guest houses and B&Bs
- Indoor play centres and areas, including inflatable parks and soft play centres and areas (other than for people who have a disability)
- Trampolining parks (other than for elite athletes, people with a disability, supervised activities for children and for formal education or training purposes)
- Casinos
- Bingo halls
- Bowling alleys
- Indoor skating rinks (other than for elite athletes, professional dancers and choreographers, people with a disability, supervised activities for children and for formal education or training purposes)
- Amusement arcades and adult gaming centres
- Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues
- Laser quests and escape rooms
- Cinemas, theatres concert halls – other than drive-in events, broadcasting performances, training or rehearsal
- Circuses
- Snooker and pool halls (other than for elite athletes)
- Zoos, safari parks, and aquariums
- Other animal attractions including farms
- Water parks and aqua parks
- Model villages
- Museums, galleries and sculpture parks
- Outdoor sports venues such as gyms, tennis courts, golf courses
- Botanical or other gardens, biomes or greenhouses
- Theme parks, fairgrounds and funfairs
- Adventure playgrounds and parks, including ziplining
- Visitor attractions at film studios,
- Heritage sites such as castles, stately homes or heritage railways
- Landmarks including observation wheels and viewing platforms
Essential retailers, such as supermarkets, pharmacies and garden centres are allowed to stay open.
Pubs and restaurants – including McDonald's – are able to operate takeaway and delivery services – but you won't be able to order alcohol as takeaway pints are banned.
Shops can offer click and collect, plus delivery services. This includes shops that only sell clothing, toys or homewares.
Also open are:
- Supermarkets
- Pharmacies
- Garden centres
- Building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences
- Market stalls selling essential retail
- Businesses providing repair services but only if they primarily offer repair services
- Petrol stations
- Automatic (but not manual) car washes
- Vehicle repair and MOT services
- Bicycle shops
- Taxi and vehicle hire businesses
- Banks and building societies
- Post offices
- Short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses
- Funeral directors
- Launderettes and dry cleaners
- Medical and dental services
- Vets and pet shops
- Animal rescue centres, boarding facilities, and animal groomers
- Agricultural supplies shops
- Mobility and disability support shops
- Storage and distribution facilities
- Car parks
- Public toilets
- Motorway service areas
- Outdoor playgrounds
- Outdoor parts of botanical gardens and heritage sites for exercise
- Places of worship
- Crematoriums and burial grounds
Libraries can also remain open to provide access to IT and digital services
– for example for people who do not have it at home – and for
click-and-collect services.
What are the current lockdown rules?
You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives, says the government.
On January 5, the Prime Minister announced a raft of new measures in a bid to drive down surging coronavirus infections caused by the mutant strain.
Under the new restrictions, Brits can only leave home for limited reasons.
Mr Johnson said people will only be allowed out of their homes to buy essential food and medicine supplies, attend medical appointments, and exercise.
Brits can go to work if it cannot be done from home, provide care for a vulnerable person and attend education if eligible.
All primary schools, secondaries and colleges moved to remote provision except for vulnerable and key worker kids.
Nurseries and special schools remain open.
People should not mix with other households but support bubbles and childcare bubbles continue.
Children who have parents separated will continue to be able to move between households.
Under the new rules takeaway alcohol is banned.
Weddings and civil ceremonies may only take place in exceptional circumstances.
Up to six people can attend a wedding or equivalent ceremony.
Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people.
Under the new measures, Brits are only allowed to exercise with one other person.
Outdoor sports venues are closed but playgrounds are allowed to stay open.
Brits are also banned from travelling unless absolutely necessary.
If you’re desperate to know when you can get your Covid jab, here’s an online calculator you can use as a rough guide.
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