New restrictions announced for the whole of Blackburn with Darwen

New restrictions are to be introduced across the whole of Blackburn with Darwen following a continued rise in cases.

The Government has announced a ban on mixing with anybody outside your household either indoors or outdoors and curfews in pubs and bars from Tuesday, September 22nd.

The new regulations are for the whole of Blackburn with Darwen. They include:

• No socialising with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens
• Food and drink will be table service only in pubs, bars and restaurants.
• Late night restriction of operating hours will be introduced, with pubs, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues required to close between 10pm to 5am.

Additional guidance also recommends:

• Only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work
• Not attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that the restrictions will be in place from Tuesday and are in place across Lancashire excluding Blackpool.

This means the new restrictions are  over and above the Government’s ‘Rule of 6’, which was brought in across the country last week.

People will still be able to go to work, school, college or university as usual.

An update on shielding is below.

You can see the latest figures here: https://www.blackburn.gov.uk/coronavirus/local-covid-19-data

Denise Park, Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

These further restrictions introduced by the Government are a serious step in trying to get control of this situation and I can’t urge people strongly enough to follow them.

We know people are becoming fed up and often confused with the current situation, especially with new restrictions being introduced regularly, but we can’t become complacent now as we are at a crucial point in this pandemic.

We need to carry on working together and following all guidelines and rules to make sure we stop our infection numbers rising even more. We must all do our bit to protect everyone in our community and especially our most vulnerable residents.

The Council will continue to lobby the government for more support for all our businesses and industries, especially hospitality venues, which have suffered throughout the pandemic.

As part of our efforts to bring our numbers down, we are carrying out inspections of premises to make sure they are as safe as possible.”

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

I know how hard this situation has been for people over the last six months, and sometimes it can feel like there is no end to the changes we have all had to make. I understand that many people are becoming tired of this.

The fact is though that this virus is still with us, it is still spreading and is still affecting people and work still needs to be done to beat it. We are not out of the woods yet and these new restrictions have been brought in to help everyone, even if it may not feel like that.

We need to follow these new rules and carry on doing what we can to keep ourselves and others safe, including washing your hands regularly, wearing a face covering when necessary, including in shops and on public transport; and keeping two metres away from people.”

Referring to residents currently shielding, Dr Pervez Muzzafar, GP in Darwen and clinical lead for Darwen PCN, said:

Clinically extremely vulnerable people are at high risk of suffering severe illness if they contract Coronavirus. I would strongly recommend that anyone in this category should follow the guidance and shield until September 21 as planned. Those living in the protected eight zones are asked to shield until October 5^th. We know this is so hard on everyone who are missing seeing their family, friends and loved ones but please continue to follow the guidance and saves lives.”

We are seeking further clarity on a number of areas and will update our website as and when we get it.