Following the latest announcement from Boris Johnson, we have summarised below the main points:

The number of Covid-19 cases has increased since some lockdown restrictions were lifted. Consequently, the government have put in place new measures in order to decrease the number of cases and work towards going back to how we were pre-Covid-19. These are the recent updates:

Hospitality/Retail industries: Customers are now required to wear face coverings in all shops and in restaurants unless seated at a table. Furthermore, all hospitality and retail staff are required to wear face coverings while working.

Fines: First offence fines for not wearing a face covering will be doubled to £200, individuals will also be fined the same amount for breaking the rule of six. Those who fail to self-isolate could face a fine of £10000.

Restaurants, bars and pubs: All restaurants, bars and pubs must now close by 10pm and only table service can be available. This rule will be in place from 24 September. Failure to adhere to the rules will incur fines for businesses.

Working from home: The advice has reverted back to: work from home if you are able. If your job cannot be done from home, you can still go to work.

These new restrictions are likely to be in place for the next six months. The legal obligations for individuals and business will be outlined further in the near future.