A RANGE of increased coronavirus restrictions have been announced for Warrington, Halton and Merseyside today, Friday.

These include pubs and restaurants being forced to close at 10pm due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases in the town.

You will rightly have plenty of questions about these restrictions and what impact they will have on your daily life.

Here are the answers to the main questions that you may have:

  • Do we still have to wear face coverings and social distance?

Yes. The new restrictions will run alongside the existing guidance to maintain excellent hand hygiene by washing or sanitising your hands regularly.

Wearing a face covering where appropriate, unless exempt on health grounds, including on public transport and shops, also remains in force.

  • How long will the measures be in place?

Warrington Borough Council says that the new restrictions will be monitored closely and reviewed on a weekly basis. The next steps will depend on the impact these measures have.

  • What type of venues will have to close between 10pm and 5pm?

Pubs, bars, restaurants, hotel dining rooms, members’ clubs, cafés, workplace canteens (but not at hospitals, care homes, prisons, and establishments for providing food or drink to the homeless), social clubs, cinemas, theatres, casinos, bingo halls, concert halls, amusement arcades, indoor leisure centres or facilities, funfairs, theme parks and adventure parks

Between 10pm and 5am each day, hot food takeaways can only operate a delivery service.

  • Can I still meet up with other households in a pub, restaurant or outside?

You should only visit these venues with other members of your household or support bubble.

READ>What Matt Hancock said about new restrictions for Warrington

  • Why am I still allowed to visit the pub, but not my friend’s house?

Warrington Borough Council says that the hospitality industry has enhanced measures in place to keep people safe.

These include risk assessments and NHS Test and Trace protocols, which private homes do not have.

It adds that there is clear evidence to show that households are the most likely setting for the virus to be passed to other people.

  • Are wider members of my family classes as my household?

The legal definition of household is only the people you live with.

If you are living on your own and have formed a support bubble, these can be treated as if they were members of your household.

A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult in the home and one other household of any size.

This means that you can have close contact with that household as if they were members of your own household.

Children of parents who are separated can also move between households while the restrictions are in place.

  • Will I need to return to shielding with these new measures in place?

Warrington Borough Council has said it has no plans to change its current guidance on shielding.

At present, it says that residents in Warrington who are classes as clinically vulnerable are not being asked to shield.

This is in line with government guidance which states that people do not need to shield at this moment.

READ> The latest coronavirus case figures for Warrington

  • Do I still have to go to work, even though I was classed as a non-essential worker during lockdown?

Yes. People living inside or outside areas with restrictions in place can travel in and out for work.

Workplaces should already have Covid-secure measures and guidance in place.

If you normally take public transport to work, you should try to work from home.

If you need to take public transport to wear, make sure to wear a cloth face covering, unless exempt on medical grounds.

  • Can I still visit my place of worship?

Yes, but you must socially distance from people outside of your household. This means maintaining a distance of two metres, or one metre with mitigations such as wearing a face covering.

The Government recommends at this time that if possible, prayers or religious services should take place outside.

  • How will these new measures affect childcare?

You can continue to use early year and childcare settings, including childminders, providers of before or after school clubs and other out-of-school settings for children.

You can also continue to employ nannies, including those living outside of the region.

Children of parents who are separated can continue to move between households.