Residents, businesses and visitors urged to follow new public health and travel guidance as Covid-19 cases rise - Cornwall Council

Cornwall Council and Visit Cornwall are urging residents, businesses and visitors alike to follow the new rules following the Downing Street press conference on Saturday (December 19).

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced changes to the tier system to include a new Tier 4, which features strict rules similar to those of a national lockdown.

The rules around Christmas bubbles were also changed and can be found on our website

The changes came into force on Sunday.

Robust action was deemed necessary after it emerged the number of Covid-19 cases is rising rapidly across the country, including in Cornwall.

As cases continue to rise in Cornwall, from 33 per 100,000 at the end of last week, to over 60 per 100,000 today, the Council and partners are urging residents, businesses and visitors to help control the spread by following the rules:

• Remember ‘hands, face and space’ is the best weapon to fight the virus right now – wash your hands frequently, wear a face covering whenever you are in an indoor public space, like shops and arcades, and stay two metres from all other people who are not in your household.
• Follow the national guidance laid out at www.gov.uk/coronavirus which is updated as and when the rules change. There is a postcode tracker which will give you details of the tier you are in and the specific rules you need to follow wherever you live in the country.
• Stick to the new Christmas Bubble rules – you can now form a bubble of up to three households for one day only on Christmas Day. The bubble can meet outdoors or in a household, but nowhere else.
• Besides some exemptions, Tier 4 residents should not be travelling to Cornwall at all. Any tier 4 residents who are already visiting in Covid-secure accommodation should return home as soon as possible.
• Tier 3 residents should only travel to Cornwall as part of a Christmas Bubble travelling on the December 24 or 25 for Christmas Day and leave for home on Boxing Day at the latest.
• Tier 2 residents should stay local and avoid traveling outside that area, i.e. their village, town or part of a city, where possible. The Government is advising against leisure and holiday travel, including visiting friends and relatives, but people are permitted to travel as part of the Christmas Bubble arrangements. We strongly urge people to heed the Government’s advice.
• Cornwall residents (Tier 1) should stay local and avoid traveling outside that area, i.e. their village, town or part of a city, where possible. The Government is advising against leisure and holiday travel, including visiting friends and relative. Tier 1 residents must also follow the rules of higher tiers if they travel out of their tier.
• Second home owners are urged not to travel to second homes in Cornwall as this in non-essential travel and could risk the spread of infection and put a strain on NHS resources.
• All residents should think carefully about whether it is worth the risk to travel and form a bubble and remember: ‘Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!’

The Council’s Covid-19 Enforcement Team will continue to work over the Christmas and new year period working alongside public health and police colleagues and will engage with residents and businesses and follow up on any issues where the rules are not being followed in business settings.

Anyone with an enforcement concern should contact the Council via covid19@cornwall.gov.uk so that the enforcement officers can follow up and ensure the new rules are adhered to.

Cllr Julian German, Leader of Cornwall Council, said: “The guidance and rules appear to be changing constantly which can prove confusing. But several things remain very clear and very simple: Covid-19 is spreading rapidly and every one of our residents needs to take personal responsibility to stop this from happening.

“The basic guidance of ‘hands, face and space’ is still our best weapon in the fight against the virus. If everyone follows this then the virus cannot spread, it’s as simple as that.

“We’d also ask everyone to think twice about their Christmas plans. Just because you can form a three-household bubble on Christmas Day doesn’t mean you should.

“Only by taking responsibility and looking out for each other will we stop the spread of coronavirus and get ourselves back on track, in the hope that the vaccination programme will finally return some normality to our lives later in the new year.”

Malcolm Bell, Chief Executive of Visit Cornwall, also urged people to think carefully about whether they should travel over Christmas and New Year.

He said holiday accommodation providers in Cornwall had been working hard to make potential visitors aware of the rules.

“I would urge people to be mindful of the new rules announced at the weekend when making their plans,” he said.

“Anyone in Tier 4 should not be travelling at all, while those in Tier 3 should only be coming to Cornwall as part of Christmas Bubble on one day only – Christmas Day.

“Tourism businesses and livelihoods have been hit hard by the pandemic and thousands of local people could lose their jobs if Easter and early spring business is lost, due the virus getting out of control. So, it’s with an incredibly heavy heart that I ask people to rethink their travel plans as it is absolutely necessary for the safety and wellbeing of both residents and visitors. We must look out for each other first and foremost and get the virus back under control.” 

For more information visit our Christmas and Covid webpage or find the latest government guidance on the gov.uk website.