Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of that too. If there's one thing I'm really missing right now is friends, and I've gone out for a beer with a friend. The issue is when it then evolves into the scenes I normally see on weekends with people elbow-to-elbow on the Thames embankment in Hammersmith.

The prime minister is due to hold a press conference in Downing Street at 17:00 GMT with chief medical officer for England Prof Chris Whitty and the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.

You are still allowed to do that, but now the difference is you'd have to buy your beer from the supermarket and not from the shops, or drink something non alcoholic.

And what would be the point in that?

:D

Mirrors the comment from my neighbour about the wine stopper he received at christmas from his daughter.

So press conference:

• 1 in 50 people had the virus last week in England
• vaccines vaccines vaccines (1.3 million people so far), will have a daily report from next Monday onwards on the amount of people vaccinated, 25% of over 80's vaccinated, and he still sticks with his Mid Feb goal to have a big change starting to take place.
• The risks of delaying second dose way lower than the general risk to public right now.
• No discussion of lockdown measures or his speech yesterday other than 'its necessary'.

Oh and London starting to level off, so the case numbers won't go to infinity forever. This, together with the vaccines rolling out makes them confident in the future 6 weeks + out.

As we all know, immunity is the only way out (vaccines + natural infections (2% in one week).

I have a couple of those ... all in pristine unused condition obvs!!

England further restrictions
with effect from 6 January
Amending legislation https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/.../contents/made

This amends the existing All Tier law (see post 352 for a link to it) rather than being fresh new law starting from scratch which is what happened for lockdown 2. So basic principle is that lockdown 3 is tier 4 with all the same restrictions on leaving home without a reasonable excuse continuing to apply with some changes. These seem the significant changes to the Tier 4 restrictions:

- All of England is now Tier 4
- No longer able to leave home for the purposes of visiting a public outdoor place for the purposes of open air recreation or to visit outdoor attractions (aquarium, zoo etc.)
- Takeaway changes around drink, so can only serve alcohol for collection if ordered via website/online, phone, or post, and for collection outside the premises
- These now closed: aquariums and zoos, including safari parks; animal attractions at farms, wildlife centres and any other place where animals are exhibited to the public as an attraction; outdoor sportsgrounds and facilities, including outdoor gyms, sports courts, swimming pools, water sports, shooting and archery venues, golf courses, and driving ranges; retail travel agents

Things mentioned in the thread but not restricted in law
- There is no explicit time limit to how long you can go out to exercise or how many times per day
- There is no explicit geographical limit on outdoor exercise (unlike in Scotland see post 620 for details)
- Continues to be no explicit legal restriction on travel between areas in England, although all travel must be for the purpose which is a reasonable excuse
- There is still a broad umbrella of reasonableness for the above three of course which underpins the purposes for leaving home, so leaving home three time a day for exercise which involves driving 2 hours from your home could be argued not to be reasonable per se
.
.

i think people are generally used to lockdown rules by now and have adapted to them. As you said, nothing new in the legislation that we haven’t seen before.

It’s so cold in London now so it’s empty anyway. Also I guess the 1 in 30 people have Covid in London probably spooked people as well!

That would not be my interpretation. There is clearly one very significant change I have highlighted.

Bad news I am afraid.

Rub it in why don't you....:)

It's odd, it's ok in Scotland. And ok in England to exercise outside with one other person which is what golf resurrected itself as after lockdown 1. Anyway, it is what it is.

Glad to know I can order alcohol by post!

... and if you do, I will offer to drink it remotely for you ;)

that’s very kind of you to offer. Will PM my address to ensure it reaches me ;)