Southport has finally gone into lockdown. But which shops and businesses remain open?
Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night announced the biggest series of restrictions on movement for people in living memory.
All those who do not perform key jobs must stay at home, apart from infrequent trips to buy food or essential medications and treatment, while outdoor exercise is allowed once a day.
A number of businesses including McDonald’s, Nando’s, Costa and The Entertainer had already announced their closure yesterday morning.
It followed the enforced closure of a number of restaurants, cafes and pubs across Southport and the UK on Friday.
With people struggling to get food after panic buying hit supermarket shops hard, a number of food businesses in Southport stepped up fast to offer food delivery services to local people.
Last night’s measures mean that only certain types of shops and businesses in Southport are now considered essential, and remain open.
The emergency measures to tackle the spread will last for three weeks before being reviewed.
The new rules over which businesses can remain open are:
- Only food stores, corner shops, hardware stores, chemists, petrol stations and newsagents are allowed to remain open during the lockdown.
- Restaurants, cafés, including workplace canteens, must remain closed, however:
Food delivery and takeaway can remain operational.
- As can cafés or canteens at hospitals, care homes or schools; prison and military canteens; services providing food or drink to the homeless.
- All retail outlets must remain in lockdown with the exception of:
Supermarkets and other food shops, health shops, pharmacies including non dispensing pharmacies, petrol stations, bicycle shops, home and hardware shops, laundrettes and dry cleaners, bicycle shops, garages, car rentals, pet shops, corner shops, newsagents, post offices, and banks.
Outdoor and indoor markets must close but not:
- Market stalls which offer essential retail, such as grocery and food.
- Hotels, hostels, BnBs, campsites and boarding houses for commercial use are to stay shut, except:
- Where people live in these as interim abodes whilst their primary residence is unavailable they may continue to do so. Key workers can continue to stay in hotels or similar where required
- Caravan parks/sites for commercial uses cannot operate apart from:
Where people live permanently in caravan parks or are staying in caravan parks as interim abodes where their primary residence is not available, they may continue to do so
Community centres, youth centres and similar will be closed.
- However, facilities may remain open for the purpose of hosting essential voluntary or public services, such as food banks or homeless services. The government says it will do everything to support vulnerable people who are without a network of friends and families.
- Places of worship for services are not permitted to open, unless for:
Funerals following the social distancing guidance; places of worship should remain open for solitary prayer. Live streaming of a service without an audience would be permissible.
- Finally, cinemas, theatres and concert halls are to close, though:
Live streaming of a performance by a small group could be permissible with social distancing observed.
