Dos and Don'ts for Covid-19 lockdown for Banbury area

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on January 4 that England was entering a third lockdown period. He ordered the country to stay indoors other than for limited exceptions.

People must not leave or be outside of their home except when there is a ‘reasonable excuse’. The police can take action, and issue people who violate the law a fine (fixed penalty notice). First time offenders can receive a fine of £200, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.

Thames Valley Police officers have issued 44 fixed penalty notices or fines in Banbury during the current third lockdown. Those fines have come from a combination of people calling the police about Covid lockdown breaches and others have come from 'proactive patrols' where officers have identified groups out with no reasonable excuse.

A spokesperson from Thames Valley Police in Banbury said: "We are pleased to see that the majority of people are abiding by the rules and staying at home.

"However on those occasions where people are blatantly disregarding them we will and have been issuing the fines. We urge people to follow the government advice by staying at home and protecting our NHS."

Officers across the Thames Valley Police area which covers three counties issued 965 fixed penalty notices for violations of the Covid-19 regulations from March 27 to December 20 last year, according to the National Police Chief's Council website.

Police forces from across the country have been actively enforcing the lockdown rules by issuing fines, including nearby Warwickshire Police, Northants Police and the Gloucestershire Constabulary (Cotswolds Police).

Some examples of non acceptable reasons for travel during lockdown include:

- Three friends from Banbury were given Covid-19 lockdown fines for travelling 21 miles together to Stow-on-the-Wold. Officers with the Cotswolds Police (the Gloucestershire Constabulary) issued £200 fines to each of the three people for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules. According to a Cotswolds Police Tweet, officers stated the friends had no reasonable excuse to be in a car together so far from home.

- A couple received Covid lockdown breach tickets after they were found in their car watching 'The Only Way is Essex' on a phone at Burton Dassett Hills Country Park (tickets issued by Warwickshire Police)

- A man received a £200 for breaching Covid rules by travelling to Kenilworth for a Pokemon hunt (fine issued by Warwickshire Police)

- Fines were issued after police heard of seven people at a party in Brackley Crescent, Warwick (fines issued by Warwickshire Police)

- Fines issued after reports of seven people at a party in Brackley Crescent, Warwick. (fines issued by Warwickshire Police)

- A woman from Rugby received a fine after she'd had a visitor when she should have been self-isolating pending the results of a Covid test. (fine issued by Warwickshire Police)

- Fines were issued to a group who had illegally gathered in a multi-storey car park in Stratford. (fines issued by Warwickshire Police)

Among the 'reasonable excuses' to travel from home include going to a garage for a MOT test.

A ‘reasonable excuse’ to travel from home includes:

- Work or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home

- Shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person

- Exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person (in which case you should stay 2m apart). Exercise should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

- Meeting others to visit people in support bubble ( if legally permitted to form one)

- Meet others to provide informal childcare for children under 14 as part of a childcare bubble (for example, to enable parents to work, not to enable social contact between adults)

- Meet others to provide care for disabled or vulnerable people

- Meet others to provide emergency assistance

- Meet others to attend a support group (of up to 15 people)

- Meet others for respite care where that care is being provided to a vulnerable person or a person with a disability, or is a short break in respect of a looked-after child.

- Exercise - You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and should not involve travel outside the local area.

- You can leave home for a medical reason, including to get a Covid-19 test, for medical appointments and for emergencies.

- Attending a MOT test booking.

- You may leave home to fulfil legal obligations

- You may also leave home to visit someone who is dying or someone in a care home (if permitted under care home guidance), hospice, or hospital, or to accompany them to a medical appointment.

- You may leave home to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property

- You can leave home for animal welfare reasons, such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment.

- Allotments remain open, but you cannot meet with someone outside your household or support bubble there unless another exemption applies.

- Playgrounds are primarily open for use by children who do not have access to private outdoor space, like their own garden. Although you can take your children to a playground for exercise, you must not socialise with other people while there.

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local - unless it is necessary to go further, for example to go to work. Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.

*Information from the Gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home#summary-what-you-can-and-cannot-do-during-the-national-lockdown