The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021

Made: at 11.56 a.m. on 13th December 2021

Laid before Parliament: -at 3.00 p.m. on 13th December 2021

Coming into force in accordance with regulation 1

In accordance with section 45R of that Act the Secretary of State is of the opinion that, by reason of urgency, it is necessary to make this instrument without a draft having been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

Citation, commencement, extent and application

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Interpretation

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Qualifying test

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Venues and events subject to these Regulations

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Requirements: entry to venues or events

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Entry to events and venues: spot checks

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Requirements: statements and records

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• (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Criteria for entrance and exemptions

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Acceptable evidence for the purposes of regulation 8

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Exempt persons

10

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Local authority powers

11

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Coronavirus Improvement Notices

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Coronavirus Immediate Restriction Notices

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Coronavirus Restriction Notices

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Appeals

15

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Offences and penalties

16

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Fixed penalty notices

17

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Designations

18

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Prosecutions

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Amendment of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (England) Regulations 2021

20

• (1) The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (England) Regulations 2021[^f00037] are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 2—

• (a) in paragraph (1), before the definition of “emergency responder”, insert—

• “business” includes any undertaking, including the provision of public transport services, whether carried on for profit or not;

• (b) in paragraph (5)(ba)(i), after “are” insert “covered, or”.

• (3) In regulation 6(5)—

• (a) in the definition of “responsible person” omit “or providing public transport services”;

• (b) omit sub-paragraph (b).

• (4) In regulation 7(2), omit sub-paragraph (a).

• (5) In regulation 13, for paragraph (1), substitute—

(1) In the case of a fixed penalty notice issued to a person in respect of an offence under regulation 10(2), the amount of the fixed penalty notice specified to be under regulation 11(5)(c) must, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), be £1,000.

Expiry

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SCHEDULE 1 — Venues to which requirements apply

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4

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SCHEDULE 2 — Exempt events

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2

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3

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4

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5

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6

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7

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8

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Signed

Maggie Throup — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, — Department of Health and Social Care — 2021-12-13

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations impose obligations on those responsible for organising certain events, or managing certain venues (set out in regulation 4), to take reasonable measures to ensure that they do not admit any person to such events, or venues unless the person concerned has been fully vaccinated or has tested negative for coronavirus within the last 48 hours, is participating (or has participated) in a clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine or, for clinical reasons, should not be vaccinated with a coronavirus vaccine (regulation 5). They may in addition admit the people listed in regulation 10, including persons under 18 years of age. Responsible persons are required to check every person admitted to the event or venue (regulation 5), unless they are relying on a spot check approach in accordance with regulation 6. Responsible persons are also required to prepare a statement setting out what they propose to do to comply with these obligations (regulation 7), and to keep records of their compliance (regulation 7).

Regulation 8 sets out when a person is considered fully vaccinated, and regulation 9 specifies the acceptable forms of evidence for vaccination, negative test, clinical trial participation or clinical exemption from vaccination.

Regulations 12 to 14 set out the powers of local authorities to enforce these obligations. Regulation 15 gives a right of appeal against the issue of Coronavirus Improvement Notices, Coronavirus Immediate Restriction Notices and Coronavirus Restriction Notices. Regulation 16 creates a new criminal offence of failing, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the obligations in regulations 5 or 7, or to comply with a Coronavirus Improvement Notice, Coronavirus Immediate Restriction Notice or a Coronavirus Restriction Notice. It also makes it an offence to make or supply others with false evidence of COVID status knowing that it is false or misleading.

Regulation 17 provides for fixed penalty notices. Regulation 18 preserves the effect of designations made under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Local Authority Enforcement Powers and Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) Regulations 2021 for the purposes of these Regulations. Regulation 19 provides who may bring prosecutions, and regulation 20 makes minor amendments to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) Regulations 2021, and Regulation 21 provides for the expiry of regulations 1 to 19 at the end of 26th January 2022, except in relation to the requirements in regulation 7(7), which cease at the end of 26th April 2022.

No impact assessment has been prepared for these Regulations.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1984 c. 22. Part 2A was inserted by section 129 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14).

[^f00037]: S.I. 2021/1340. Paragraph (5)(ba) was inserted by S.I. 2021/1400.

Editorial notes

[^key-a36be851b9b9b7b0b3ca58635f38655f]: Reg. 7 in force at 15.12.2021 at 6.00 a.m., see reg. 1(2)(b)

[^key-f6c21e484769d966cb195658d2cfbf8e]: Reg. 20 in force at 14.12.2021, see reg. 1(2)(a)

[^key-4cb1dd2467222e8344b6b7c9697f5723]: Sch. 1 expired (27.1.2022) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1416), reg. 21

[^key-856601f5c5346f4c4456cbf6744529e4]: Sch. 2 expired (27.1.2022) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1416), reg. 21

[^key-6dec1af4e934836fc6dab3c8351a4195]: Regs. 1-6 expired (27.1.2022) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1416), reg. 21

[^key-3ef326dadf8f392c35a9736adb0a3cf5]: Regs. 8-19 expired (27.1.2022) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1416), reg. 21

[^key-2f3319b707e210897f6db538c062960d]: Reg. 7(1)-(6) expired (27.1.2022) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1416), reg. 21

[^key-b33848dd6f0216e150dbfa9b15212b92]: Reg. 21 expired (27.1.2022) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1416), reg. 21

[^key-1fc2a29a85d00611561d5ec66952bb67]: Reg. 7(7) expired (27.4.2022) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and Events) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1416), reg. 21