UK Government Announces Further Lockdown Measures

Updated 22/04/2020.

On 16/04/2020, the UK government extended the coronavirus lockdown, which was first implemented on 23rd March for a further 3 weeks. This means that current restrictions and measures will remain in place into May 2020, where it will be reviewed again to determine whether there can be any relaxation of these rules.

On 23/03/2020, the UK government announced further measures to restrict movement and social gatherings in order to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and limit the rate of infection throughout the country.

The current requirements/measures are now very simple and clear, and are as follows:

1. All people must stay at home, except for very limited purposes;

You should only leave the house for one of four reasons.

  • Shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible
  • One form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household
  • Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
  • Travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home.

These four reasons are exceptions – even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

2. Non-essential shops and community spaces are now closed, including;

  • Clothing and electronics stores; hair, beauty and nail salons; and outdoor and indoor markets (excluding food markets)
  • Libraries, community centres, and youth centres.
  • Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, arcades and soft play facilities.
  • Communal places within parks, such as playgrounds, sports courts and outdoor gyms.
  • Places of worship, except for funerals attended by immediate families.
  • hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for
  • Commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers).

3. All gatherings of more than two people in public are now not permitted

There are only two exceptions to this rule:

  • Where the gathering is of a group of people who live together
  • Where the gathering is essential for work purposes – but workers should be trying to minimise all meetings and other gatherings in the workplace.

In addition, the Government is stopping social events, including religious ceremonies.

This will exclude funerals, which can be attended by immediate family.

 

Cleaning Update

CRM already delivered a high level of cleanliness and hygiene across all of its schemes, including anti-bacterial cleans, with professional cleaning services in place to ensure that this is achieved. In light of COVID-19 and the current coronavirus pandemic, cleaning processes have been reviewed across all schemes. This is to ensure that high levels of cleanliness and hygiene are maintained and to provide reassurance to residents – both current and prospective.

Our professional cleaning teams and contractors clean in accordance to rigorous industry standards and requirements, and will also be ensuring that each site is cleaned and disinfected in line with government and health authority guidance in relation to managing COVID-19. We hope that this will provide reassurance to those living with us that both the bedroom, flat or space they move into as well as the property as a whole is clean and safe to live in.

 

Advice and Guidance

Why are these measures being put in place?

These measures will reduce our day to day contact with other people. They are a vital part of our efforts to reduce the rate of transmission of coronavirus.

These further more stringent measures have been necessary due to previous measures not being followed by the general public as closely as they needed to be.

Do all of these rules/measures apply to me?

Yes. Every citizen must comply with these new measures. The relevant authorities, including the police, will be given the powers to enforce them – including through fines and dispersing gatherings.

When do I need to start following these rules, and how long will these measures be in place for?

These measures are effective immediately, but the Government will look again at these measures in three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.

 

Top Tips For Students

  1. Only go out if it is necessary i.e. to buy essential food or medicine
  2. Do not invite friends or family to visit you – stay in contact online instead
  3. Do not host parties or gatherings in your flat
  4. Complete University work from your room/flat
  5. Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces such as work tops and door/cabinet handles
  6. Put in place a kitchen or bathroom rota for your flat if these facilities are shared
  7. Do not share towels or cutlery/crockery and wash up regularly
  8. Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly for 20s or more with soap and warm water, or use alcohol based hand sanitiser (minimum of 60%)
  9. Use online services and technology to keep you informed and updated, and to order essentials/medicine rather than going out where possible to do so

Communications with my on site management team

You can still communicate with your on-site team and we understand how important this is to you, but we now ask that you are considerate and communicate with the team by phone, email, your portal or by social media rather than by face to face (unless it is critical or an emergency). This is both for your protection and that of staff.

If you require post/mail, you can still collect this from reception.

Keeping in contact with my friends, family and University

It is important to keep in regular contact with friends and family. Technology makes this extremely easy to do despite the need for social distancing at this time. If you have trouble doing this, then please contact a member of the site team to see how they may be able to support/assist you.

  1. Set up a WhatsApp or Facebook messenger group for friends and loved ones
  2. Put aside time in your day/week to contact loved ones and friends using skype, WhatsApp and other online platforms to stay connected. Webcam/video calls can be a fun and great way to stay connected!
  3. Keep an eye out for University updates and communications relating to classes, projects and lectures and how these will be delivered during this period
  4. Ensure your contact details are up to date on your CRM portal and any University systems so you can be contacted with key information, and check these platforms regularly for updates

What can I do to keep busy and occupy my time?

Do the things you love – read a book, play online games with your friends, learn a new skill or even a language online, meditate. There are plenty of things that you can do to keep yourself occupied and busy, even from home/your accommodation!

Spending more time at home/in your accommodation is an ideal opportunity to start or finish off those projects you have previously had to put to one side.

Go for a walk, for a run or even just complete light stretches. Exercise can greatly improve mood and is fantastic for mental health. If you do exercise, please strictly follow any government guidance on social distancing or restrictions on movement and keep up to date with advice as it may change/evolve over time.

Whilst it is important to stay up to date with guidance, sticking to trusted sources of information (e.g. Public Health England, NHS, and The World Health Organisation) and minimising time reading social media posts about the subject can help reduce any anxiety or stress.