Rutland County Council is having to close a number of buildings and services in response to new COVID-19 restrictions that will come into force from Thursday 5 November.

The UK government announced plans for a second national lockdown across England on Saturday 31 October. The four-week lockdown is due to end on 2 December, during which time people must observe the following restrictions:

·         People must stay at home except for education, work (if they cannot work from home), exercise, medical reasons, shopping for essentials, or to care for others

·         All pubs and restaurants must close (takeaways and deliveries can continue)

·         All non-essential shops must also close

·         Households will not be allowed to mix with others indoors, or in private gardens

·         You can meet one person from outside your household in an outside public space

·         Support bubbles for people who live alone and households made up of single parents and children can continue

·         Schools, colleges and universities will remain open

·         Outdoor exercise and recreation will be allowed, but gyms will have to close

·         People who are clinically vulnerable will be advised not to go to work if they are unable to work from home

Further guidance and a full list of national restrictions can be found online at: www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november.

In order to comply with this guidance, the following Rutland County Council buildings and services will close from Thursday 5 November until after the lockdown ends:

• Active Rutland Hub
• Brightways Community Support Service
• Oakham Castle
• Rutland County Museum

Library buildings in Oakham, Uppingham, Ketton and Ryhall will close. However, the Council will continue to provide a home delivery services for registered library users, as well as a wide range of online library services. Further details can be found online at: www.rutland.gov.uk/libraries.

Jules House and Visions Children’s Centre in Oakham remain closed, while continuing to offer online support for service users. The Council’s main office building and customer service desk also remain closed.

Parks and children’s playground areas are permitted to remain open throughout the lockdown. All sports and leisure centres, including Catmose Sports Centre in Oakham, are required to close.

North Luffenham Household Waste and Recycling Centre will continue to operate six days a week (closing only on Mondays). Bulky waste collections will also continue, with bookings available five days a week. Cottesmore Household Waste and Recycling Centre remains closed until further notice.

Further information at www.rutland.gov.uk.