COVID-19 UPDATE: New National Restrictions

Following the Government announcement on Saturday 31st October, we will be closing our doors at 2200hrs on Wednesday 4th November until Wednesday 2nd December.

The bar will be open from 18.00 until 2000hrs on Tuesday 3rd November.

We invite you to join us for this Wednesday, 4th November for one last hurrah where lunch and dinner service will be available. Contact events@royal-southern.co.uk to book your table.

Following the New National Restrictions announced at the weekend we have taken the unfortunate decision to suspend the Bosun service; the last service will be 1730hrs Wednesday. 
The clubhouse will also be closed from 2200hrs on Wednesday. 

We are keeping a reduced number of staff at the Club including night security.  The Haven and Sailing office team will continue to check PPYH berths daily and we are discussing patrols of the river moorings with the Harbourmaster.

Access to PPYH will still be available for professional marine businesses.  The crane is available for emergency lift out by the Bosuns only. The red dinghies will be available for use unless we are advised by the Harbour Master that this is not permitted. 

The Club bedrooms will be closed from Thursday and members are advised that staying on board your boat will not be permitted by law. 


We are continuously monitoring announcements from the Government, the RYA and the Harbourmaster and will take any appropriate advice. Links to the latest announcements are below:

New National Restrictions from 5 November - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november

RYA Advice and Information for Recreational Boaters - https://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/coronavirus-advice-and-information-for-recreational-boaters.aspx

Hamble Harbourmaster - https://www.facebook.com/Hambleharbour/

If you have any questions please address these by email rather than telephone to the appropriate club department. 

Brian Akerman, Haven & Facilities Manager - havenandfacilities@royal-southern.co.uk
Emily Robertson, Sailing Secretary - sailing@royal-southern.co.uk 

I imagine we are all looking to end of this week to see exactly what restrictions will be in place and what that will mean. You may all by now have read Government's web pages. The announcement of further restrictions brings with it questions of detail. I do not have all the answers yet. I am, through the UK Harbour Masters' Association, engaged with DEFRA which issued industry specific guidelines last time round to gain additional detail. In the mean time, It is important that early sight is afforded to commercial and private users of the rules as we know them. These will be refined as more information becomes apparent from DEFRA (who have previously set the rules for our sector). The highlights are these:

• From Thursday, everyone should stay at home except for a few explicit reasons. Recreation is one of them which may yet include visiting a boat, using it or maintaining it, we just don't know yet
• No overnighting. Explicitly.
• Restrictions on numbers/families being together.
• Stay safe outside the home.
• Listed businesses will shut. Some commercial marine operations will continue. It is unclear yet which. 

More no doubt to follow over the next day or so.

Like you, we are watching developments on the nature and implications of COVID restrictions. There will be some effect on all in the River because of Government's changes in the Law. This is what we know currently. It is important to stress the point that Government recognises the need for commercial operations to continue where safe to do so and work cannot be conducted remotely. Many businesses are of course in this position. River businesses have in place well-considered control measures to help them operate safely in any case.

The Prime Minister announced on Saturday evening that the lockdown in England would be Thursday 5 November to Wednesday 2 December. There are a limited number of exceptions, which include going to work if you cannot work from home, childcare and education. The Prime Minister said that following the lockdown, restrictions will be eased and those in England will go back into the tiered system on a local and regional basis.

The guidance states that overnight stays away from primary residences are not allowed, except for work. However outdoor exercise and visiting an outdoor public place is allowed - with people you live with, in your support bubble, on your own or with one other person. Links to the guidance issued so far are here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-announces-new-national-restrictions

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november

For River Users, 'Recreation' as a 'heading' appears at this stage to be allowed. It is a broad definition (chess, bird-spotting, applying anti-foul on a boat) -much could be considered as recreation. Whether that explicitly includes boating has yet to be determined - that may be considered possible given compliance with the other rules set out. What is clear is that no staying overnight away from home will be permitted (Law set by Government, not the Harbour Authority). That includes on boats. DEFRA may yet on the other hand move to put similar restrictions in place to those we saw earlier in the year. I set no hares running either way but will get back to you as soon as I am able.

Key advice, taken from the links can be summarised here:

1. Stay at home. This means you must not leave or be outside of your home except for specific purposes. These include:

• for childcare or education, where this is not provided online
• for work purposes, where your place of work remains open and where you cannot work from home (including if your job involves working in other people's homes)
• to exercise outdoors or visit an outdoor public place - with the people you live with, with your support bubble or, when on your own, with 1 person from another household (children under school age, as well as those dependent on round-the-clock care, such as those with severe disabilities, who are with their parents will not count towards the limit on two people meeting outside).
• for any medical concerns, reasons, appointments and emergencies, or to avoid or escape risk of injury or harm - such as domestic abuse
• shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which should be as infrequent as possible
• to visit members of your support bubble or provide care for vulnerable people, or as a volunteer
  

This list is not exhaustive and there are other limited circumstances where you may be permitted to leave or be outside of your home. These will be set out in law and further detailed guidance will be provided.

2. Staying safe outside the home (Social Distancing). You should minimise time spent outside your home and when around other people ensure that you are two metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.

Remember - 'Hands. Face. Space':

• hands - wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
• face - wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet
• space - stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings or increasing ventilation indoors)
  

3. Meeting with family and friends. You must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household - meaning the people you live with - or support bubble. 

A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with another household. Households in that support bubble can still visit each other, stay overnight, and visit outdoor public places together.

You can exercise or visit outdoor public places with the people you live with, your support bubble, or 1 person from another household (children under school age, as well as those dependent on round-the-clock care, such as those with severe disabilities, who are with their parents will not count towards the limit on two people meeting outside).

Outdoor public places include:

• parks, beaches, countryside,
• public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them), allotments
• playgrounds
  

You cannot meet in a private garden.

4. Businesses and venues. To reduce social contact, the Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close. These include:

• all non-essential retail, including, but not limited to clothing and electronics stores, vehicle showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops.
• indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks,
• entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, concert halls, zoos and other animal attractions, 
• botanical gardens;
• personal care facilities such as hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons.
  

Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services can remain open. Essential retail should follow COVID-secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and workers.

Non-essential retail can remain open for delivery to customers and click-and-collect.

Playgrounds can remain open.

Hospitality venues like restaurants, bars and pubs must close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery services. However, takeaway of alcohol will not be allowed.

Hotels, hostels and other accommodation should only open for those who have to travel for work purposes and for a limited number of other exemptions which will be set out in law.

A full list of the business closures will be published and set out in law.

Some venues will be allowed to remain open for specific exempt activities, like childcare and support groups. Support groups that are essential to deliver in person can continue with up to 15 participants where formally organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support. This includes support to victims of crime, people in drug and alcohol recovery, new parents and guardians, people with long-term illnesses, people facing issues relating to their sexuality or gender, and those who have suffered bereavement.

A number of public services will also stay open and you will be able to leave home to visit them. These include:

• the NHS and medical services like GPs. We are supporting the NHS to safely carry out urgent and non-urgent services and it is vital anyone who thinks they need any kind of medical care comes forward and seeks help.
• Jobcentre Plus sites
• Courts
• Civil Registrations Offices
  

11. Travel. You should avoid travelling in or out of your local area, and you should look to reduce the number of journeys you make. However you can and should still travel for a number of reasons, including:

• travelling to work where this cannot be done from home
• travelling to education and for caring responsibilities
• hospital GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health
• visiting venues that are open, including essential retail
• exercise, if you need to make a short journey to do so
  

If you need to travel we encourage you to walk or cycle where possible, and to plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. This will allow you to practise social distancing while you travel.

Overnight stays and holidays away from primary residences will not be allowed. This includes holidays abroad and in the UK. It also means you cannot stay in a second home, if you own one, or staying with anyone you do not live with or are in a support bubble with. There are specific exceptions, for example if you need to stay away from home (including in a second home) for work purposes, but this means people cannot travel overseas or within the UK, unless for work, education or other legally permitted reasons.

You must not travel if you are experiencing any coronavirus symptoms, are self-isolating as a result of coronavirus symptoms, are sharing a household or support bubble with somebody with symptoms, or have been told to self-isolate after being contacted by NHS Test and Trace.

If you need to use public transport - to travel to work for example - you should follow the safer travel guidance. This includes the rules on wearing face masks and advice on car sharing.

For those planning to travel into England from overseas, you should check the current travel corridor list to see whether you need to isolate for 14 days. You will still be required to abide by the restrictions set out here even if you do not need to isolate. If you do need to travel overseas from England before 2 December (and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work), even if you are returning to a place you've visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice.

Again, more to follow.

With all good wishes

Jason Scott

Marine Director and Harbour Master

River Hamble Harbour Authority

Harbour Master's Office

Shore Road, Warsash, SO31 9FR

Tel : 01489 576387

Fax: 01489 580718

Jason.Scott@hants.gov.uk

Visit www.hants.gov.uk/hambleharbour for all the latest news on the River including moorings, notices to river users and information on the environment.

Follow us on Twitter at:~ www.twitter.com/hambleharbour