Christmassey Falmouth. But visitors from outside Cornwall have been asked to stay away this Christmas and stick to their tier rules to avoid spreading the virus

Residents, businesses and visitors are being urged to follow the new Covid rules after most of the South East and London were placed under stricter Tier 4 restrictions.

The changes came into force on Sunday after the Government said action was 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, Cornwall Council and partners such as Visit Cornwall are urging residents, businesses and visitors to help control the spread by following the rules:

As well as normal hygiene rules such as washing hands, wearing a face mask and social distancing, people are asked to 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
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 2 residents should stay local and avoid travelling outside that area 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 travelling outside that area
Second home owners are urged not to travel to second homes in Cornwall as this in non-essential travel.

Cllr Julian German, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “The guidance and rules appear to be changing constantly which can prove confusing.

“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.

“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 have been working hard to make potential visitors aware of the rules.

He said: “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.”
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.

For more information visit cornwall.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health-cornwall/information-about-coronavirus-covid-19/your-health-symptoms-and-staying-safe/christmas-and-coronavirus.

For the latest government guidance visit gov.uk/coronavirus.

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