Guidance

[Withdrawn] Environment Agency waterways: Coronavirus (COVID-19) update 5 March 2021

Updated 16 August 2022

Applies to England

This document was withdrawn on 16 August 2022, because it is out of date.

For latest Coronavirus guidance please visit Environment Agency waterways: Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the 4 step roadmap for lifting coronavirus restrictions, this is our updated guidance for boating customers, which we are issuing ahead of 8 March when the government begins to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions in England. Each step of the roadmap will continue for at least 5 weeks to allow the government to make an assessment before easing restrictions further. Further guidance on the government roadmap can be found here: COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021.

What this means for our waterways

For all steps of the government roadmap, those who live aboard their boats can continue to travel to access essential services and facilities.

All boating activity on our waterways should follow the guidance in Table 1. From 29 March, as part of the first step, ‘Stay at Home’ restrictions will be lifted, however government guidance instructs you to continue to stay local where possible and minimise travel throughout the first 3 steps of the roadmap. “Staying in your local area means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.” (Coronavirus restrictions: what you can and cannot do.)

This means that during the first step from 29th March, people should avoid travelling further than is reasonably necessary on board their boat or to take part in their waterway activity.

All references to permitted activities must still adhere to the latest social distancing rules. COVID-Secure guidance will also remain in place up to and including Step 3 (subject to a proposed review of social distancing rules ahead of Step 4).

Boats and businesses must not cater for groups larger than the legal limits at each step unless meeting the conditions for a permitted organised gathering. These will be reintroduced at Step 2 for outdoor gatherings and Step 3 for indoor gatherings.

Anyone making plans for later in the summer should follow government advice carefully and check GOV.UK to ensure you are keeping yourselves and others safe.

Our service at this time

We will continue to support this national effort through these challenging times and will, as always, make protecting the safety of our customers and staff our top priority.

Our staff continue to work, managing and maintaining our waterways within the safe ways of working we have implemented over the past year. As we start to follow the roadmap out of government restrictions, our operational priorities will be:

• ensuring safe navigation, by inspecting each reach of our waterways for obstructions and marking them accordingly
• a safe, phased approach to resume assisted passage in line with government advice that gives staff time to adjust to new ways of working
• recruitment of Environment Agency seasonal staff, aiming for their return on 1 April 2021

As we start to move out of the current lockdown, some local restrictions may still be in place and assets could be subject to closures for maintenance. Our level of service may also be affected due to some staff who are vulnerable and still need to shield. This means some tasks may not be carried out straight away, including assisted passage at some locks, however wherever possible we will maintain essential services and facilities for those boaters who live aboard and who have to make essential journeys.

To keep up to date with local information, see the following websites:

• River Thames
• Anglian Waterways
• River Medway

For the latest guidance on Boat Safety Scheme certificates, please visit the Boat Safety Scheme website.

We will continue to update our guidance as the national situation develops so please do keep checking the guidance for the latest information on restrictions.

Table 1

-	Step 1	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4
-	8 March: Stay local (stay in the village, town or part of the city where you live)	29 March: Minimise travel	No earlier than 12 April: Minimise travel	No earlier than 17 May: Minimise travel	No earlier than 21 June
Private boats	Private boating on an open boat permitted for recreation for a single household or bubble - subject to the requirements to stay local and minimise time spent away from home	Private boating on an enclosed boat permitted for recreation for a single household or bubble or 6 people / 2 households per boat if vessel is open - provided social distancing can be maintained between people / different households. No overnight stays	Same as step 1 plus restriction on overnight stays lifted for single households or bubbles only	Same as Step 2 but now with 6 people / 2 households on enclosed boats. On open boats, up to legal capacity (but no more than 30 allowed)	No restrictions (subject to review
Watersports activity	Private watersports permitted for exercise - 2 people / 1 household. Stay local and minimise time spent away from home. School and college rowing permitted, also use of coaching and safety boats	Formal club activity can restart, outdoor venues. Private groups of 6 people / 2 households	Same as step 1	Private groups of up to 30 outdoors	No restrictions (subject to review)
Self-drive day hire	Click and collect only, boats must be collected away from the hire premises. Permitted for recreation on an open boat for a single household or bubble - subject to the requirements to stay local and minimise time spent away from home	Hire premises reopen. Single household or bubble in an enclosed boat or 6 people / 2 households per boat if vessel is open - provided social distancing can be maintained between people / different households	Same as previous step	No restrictions (other than the usual capacity of the boat) in an open boat or 6 people / 2 households per boat in an enclosed boat	No restrictions (subject to review)
Self-drive holiday hire	Not permitted	Not permitted	Single household or bubble per boat	6 people / 2 households per boat	No restrictions (subject to review)
Skippered passenger or charter boats	Only permitted to operate as public transport (for example ferry service), subject to risk assessment, social distancing rules and wider government guidance	Permitted subject to social distancing rules, maximum of 6 people / 2 households if boat is open or single household / bubble if boat is enclosed. For partially enclosed boats, access inside is only permitted for use of toilet. The skipper does not count towards the rule of 6 or 2 household limits. Daytime operation only permitted	Permitted subject to COVID-Secure guidance to accommodate larger numbers outdoors, provided businesses and skippers ensure that people do not mix beyond groups of 6 people / 2 households. Check the guidance for reopening businesses	Permitted to accommodate larger groups indoors and outdoors subject to same conditions as step 2	No restrictions (subject to review)
Hotel boats	Not permitted	Not permitted	Single household or bubble per booking (must be self-contained accommodation with no sharing of facilities)	6 people / 2 households per booking	No restrictions (subject to review)
Fixed trading boats	Takeaway only	Takeaway only	Outdoor table service, 6 people / 2 households per booking	Up to 30 people per booking outdoors, 6 people / 2 households per booking indoors	No restrictions (subject to review)