Additional restrictions easing in England from 19 July

Following the Government announcement on Monday, we’re pleased to update that from 19 July there will be some changes to the way you can deliver Scouting activities within England.

The Government have confirmed the following changes will apply whilst the youth sector remains in the Yellow readiness level throughout the summer:

• Group sizes – There is no limit to group sizes, meaning that full sections and multiple sections may now meet together. You must still act to minimise the spread of COVID-19 when running activities. These changes now apply to all age ranges, with no differences for Scout Network and adult groups. In line with the government’s desire to minimise the transmission of COVID-19, we strongly recommend you focus on returning young people to local scouting activities at this time.
• COVID-19 controls – It is no longer the law to practice social distancing or wear a face covering, however members will still need to wear face coverings in the following circumstances; when an activity requires direct physical contact; when in direct contact because of an incident; or in poorly ventilated spaces. Social distancing is still encouraged when in poorly ventilated spaces (note: any requirements by facilities and external providers must be followed).
• Nights Away – The group size limits have been removed for nights away activities, but members must still have no more than 6 people per accommodation (tent / room). Lateral flow testing has now become a recommendation and not a requirement, but members are still strongly encouraged to keep testing as outlined in the guidance. Anyone displaying COVID-19 symptoms or testing positive must return home immediately, and those sharing a room/tent with this individual must also return home and self-isolate.

The readiness level table has been updated to reflect these changes and assist with your planning.

Please be sure to check the current guidance, all available on the getting back together safely updates page. We’ll update this content on Monday (19 July) when these changes come into effect.

We hope this update will enable you to continue to offer amazing experiences for young people, but it’s important to make sure that safety remains at the forefront of your plans. We all have a responsibility to make sure our activities are planned to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spreading.

We’ll continue to monitor further changes in government guidance and expect the next update to be in September 2021. At this time we hope to review the situation for international travel. As with previous changes, please plan for the readiness level we’re in and do not book or commit to activities until it is confirmed that we have moved to the stage where the activities are allowed.

Don’t forget that you will need to still risk assess your activities, but if you have an approved COVID-19 risk assessment, there is no need to resubmit another.

We’re looking forward to an exciting summer of Scouting activities, and hope you are too!

Best wishes,