The national lock-down in England is scheduled to end on the 2nd December. This will be replaced by regional restrictions as defined by the tier level that the region is placed under. Today the Government confirmed that Bath will be placed in the Tier 2 category. This means that hotels and guest-houses, museums and restaurants will be able to open - allowing visitors to return to the city. Whilst Bath's Christmas Market will not be happening this year the city has been lit up with festive lights to help give a Christmassy-feel.
Night-clubs will remain closed and pubs are only allowed to serve alcohol with meals. People are not allowed to socialise in groups of more than 6 outside.
For more information on the tier restrictions please visit the UK Government website here.
From the 2nd December I am able to operate tours so if you are visiting Bath and would like to explore the city and local area do get in touch. All of my tours are private so you will not be sharing the tour with other tourists and the tour will meet the Government's "rule of 6" for being outdoors. My business has been given the "We're Good to Go" accreditation to show that it has taken appropriate steps for operating during this time of COVID-19. For guests who would like to explore Bath when the crowds have gone home I have recently created a 90 minute walking tour of the city, starting at 5pm or 7pm. You will be able to see the festive lights and during the tour I will give you a great introduction to the city and show you the city's famous landmarks. If this of interest please get in touch.
For international visitors, from the 15th December, visitors arriving from a country that is not on the UK Travel Corridor list will be able to reduce their quarantine time from the current 14 days to 6/7 days if they pay for a private COVID-19 test after 5 days. If the test returns negative (normally within 24 - 48 hours), the visitor will no longer need to self-isolate. Tests are expected to cost between £65 and £120. Visitors on the UK Government's Travel Corridor list will still be exempt from quarantine. The UK Travel Industry continues to campaign for a testing solution that does not require self-isolation. I will keep you posted.