With questions raised over whether Boris Johnson exercising seven miles from his home in London was within the rules of England’s latest national lockdown, we thought you might like to test how well you know the current restrictions.
So take our quiz and find out. It’s all based on the guidance set out by the government on 4 January …
The police can take action against you if you leave home without a «reasonable excuse». They can give you a fixed penalty notice. How much is the fine for a first offence?
£50
£100
£120
£200 It is £200 for a first offence. Fines can be doubled for each subsequent offence, up to a maximum of £6,400.
Which of these are NOT given as a «reasonable excuse’ for leaving home in the guidelines published on gov.uk?
Leaving home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home.
Leaving home to provide voluntary or charitable services.
To visit people in your support bubble.
To go to Kay Burley’s birthday party. Kay Burley’s 60th birthday party actually took place in December before the current restrictions were in place, but nevertheless it would not be a reasonable excuse for leaving the house. Other legitimate reasons given in the guidelines include travelling to an educational setting, to provide care, to provide emergency assistance and to attend a support group.
In England you are allowed to leave your home to attend a support group. What is the maximum number of people allowed in a support group?
4
8
15 The government has chosen fifteen as the number of people who can attend a support group together. People would be expected to still adhere to social distancing at such an event.
30
Can you leave your house to be with someone who is giving birth or accessing other maternity services?
Yes Yes, you can. This is a change from the regulations that were in force in early 2020, when women were being forced to give birth alone without the support of a partner, relation or friend.
No
How many times do the guidelines say are you permitted to leave the house for your state-mandated exercise?
Three times a week
Once a day The guidelines state that «You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.»
Twice a day
As many times as you like
How do the government guidelines define ‘staying local’ in respect to leaving your house?
«Less than 1 mile if possible»
«Within 3 to 10 miles»
«Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.» Yes, this vagueness is at the heart of the row over whether Boris Johnson was exercising locally. The government’s guidelines do not specify what «local» actually means beyond this phrasse, implying that «you must stay in the small village where you live» and «you can go anywhere in East London» are equivalent under the rules.
«As far as you can go in a straight line on a reasonable bike ride.»
What is the current limit on the number of people who can attend a wedding in England?
6 The guidelines state «There are still circumstances in which you are allowed to meet others from outside your household, including for a wedding or equivalent ceremony. This should only be in exceptional circumstances and is limited to 6 people». 30 had been an earlier limit on attendees. The government suggest weddings should only take place if, for example, it is an urgent marriage «where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover, or is to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery».
15
30
60
In the guidelines for wearing face coverings, which of these is NOT a legitimate exception?
If you are a child under the age of 11.
If you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading.
If you are a police officer or other emergency worker.
If you are Laurence Fox. Yes. Being a contrarian for attention is not a legitimate excuse not to wear a mask in a supermarket. Other reasons that are permissible are people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness, and to avoid harm or injury.
Are you allowed to leave your house to go and live in your second home or caravan, assuming you are lucky enough to have one?
Yes
No The guidelines specifically state that overnight stays are forbidden, and «This includes staying in a second home or caravan, if that is not your primary residence». This is one rule that does not seem universally understood.
Which of these animal related businesses are not allowed to remain open during the current restrictions?
Animal rescue centres
Vets
Retailers of products and food for the upkeep and welfare of animals
Animal attractions (such as zoos, safari parks, aquariums, and wildlife centres) Zoos are shut. Whether they can repurpose the gift shop into something that sells «products and food for the upkeep and welfare of animals» has not yet, to our knowledge, been tested.
Do the guidelines published in January 2021 specifically forbid people to «mingle» at church?
Yes The only uses of the word «mingle» in the document published online is with regard to church services or places of communal worship, where the guidelines specifically state «you must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble».
No
Very roughly, on average, how often have the government changed the regulations around coronavirus since the first piece of law, the Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020, was laid before parliament in February 2020?
Roughly once every two months
Roughly once every month
Roughly once a fortnight
Roughly every five days Yes, it is no wonder nobody can keep their head around all of the regulations. There have been 65 sets of law or regulations presented to parliament about coronavirus between 10 February 2020 and 5 January 2021. While, of course, some of these were less significant changes or only affected specific locations, nevertheless the government has asked the public to take on board a huge number of different requirements during the pandemic.
You got…
Whatever your score, I think we can all agree that this is all rather inconsistent and confusing
Whatever your score, I think we can all agree that this is all rather inconsistent and confusing
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If you think there is an egregious error in either the answers or questions, please feel free to contact martin.belam@theguardian.com. Please note that the answers in this quiz apply only to England, and have been based on these sources: National lockdown: Stay at Home guidance on Gov.uk website, Face coverings: when to wear one, exemptions, and how to make your own, this record of coronavirus law and regulations.
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