Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – latest information and advice

Please read on for official coronavirus UK guidance and resources for travelling safely to and within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The health and safety of visitors, delegates and residents is of paramount importance to us. We will share ongoing advice related to COVID-19 (coronavirus) here. 

Last updated: 27 March 2020, 10:30am 

Key information: 

• The UK is now in lockdown, with gatherings of more than 2 people banned
• You are only permitted to leave your house for food or medicine, to exercise once a day, or to travel to/from work
• All shops, venues and attractions have now been ordered to close, with the exception of those selling essentials such as food or medicine
• Find the latest information on the official UK government website.   
• For travellers already in the UK and who need medical advice, use the 111 online coronavirus service to get further information.  

What is Coronavirus?

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus. The main symptoms are a high temperature and a new, continuous cough (this means you've started coughing repeatedly). You can find more information on coronavirus on the National Health Service (NHS) website. 

How will coronavirus impact my travel to Nottingham and Nottinghamshire? 

The UK is now in lockdown, with gatherings of more than 2 people banned - meaning that anyone who has booked non-essential travel to Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in the coming weeks must not visit. Those living in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire must remain in their homes, only leaving to make essential purchases such as food or medicine, to exercise once a day, or to travel to/from their place of work.

All shops, venues and attractions have now been ordered to close, with the exception of those selling essentials such as food or medicine.

Restaurants, pubs, cafés have been ordered to close as of Friday 20 March, although many of them are still offering takeaway or delivery options (please see here for examples). Many attractions and shops are now temporarily closed, and events and conferences have been cancelled. For businesses which have been affected with reduced hours or temporary closure, please click here. We will aim to keep this page as up-to-date as possible but we recommend checking the venue's website or social media for the latest information.  

Bus Travel

Nottingham City Transport (NCT), the main bus operator in Nottingham city and the surrounding area, continues to monitor the developing situation, following the latest guidance from government and Public Health England at all times. Nottingham City Transport (NCT) is now allowing anyone with a concession pass to access their services 'at all times', instead of the usual hours of 9:30am - 11pm. They are now running reduced service levels as people are advised to avoid using public transport unless necessary (e.g. to travel to their place of work). For the latest updates, check the NCT website. 

Trent Barton, who run many bus services in the Nottinghamshire area, are also running reduced services, and they are also temporarily allowing Concessionary pass holders to travel before 9:30am. For more information and the latest bus timetables, please click here.

Tram Travel 

Nottingham Express Transit (NET)  are following the latest general advice issued by Public Health England on reducing the spread of the virus. NET are operating a full service and will continue to do so unless advised otherwise by the Government. Like other transport operators, they are also temporarily allowing concessionary pass holders free travel 24 hours a day. For the latest updates and information on how to keep yourself safe when using the tram, check the NET website.

Train Travel

From Monday 23 March, East Midlands Railway are operating a significantly reduced timetable. All stations and lines of routes will remain open, although as with other transport services you are urged to avoid travel unless absolutely essential. Please see details of the reduced timetable and which services will be affected on their website.

Advice and support for Businesses

Support is being made available for businesses. Some schemes will need to be applied for, and for other forms of support businesses will be contacted directly by their local authority so do not need to do anything. Please see details of the various types of business support available from the UK Government on this new dedicated website, including eligibility criteria and how to apply.

If you have any questions about business support, please consult the FAQs section first. If you cannot find what you are looking for, you can call the dedicated helpline Monday - Friday, 9am - 6pm: 0300 456 3565

Advice for tourism and event businesses can be found on VisitBritain website here and also here. Details of the support available for businesses is also available on the D2N2 website. If you are a Nottingham or Nottinghamshire based business and would like to receive updates from Visit Nottinghamshire, sign up to our dedicated Coronavirus newletter here. 

If your tourism business has been affected by Coronavirus, please complete VisitBritain's national tracker survey. The results will provide valuable and robust data needed to brief Ministers, the Government and COBR to help support the industry through these challenging times.

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We are actively updating this page with the latest available information. Stay up to date with the latest advice on the official government website.