The Coronavirus Act 2020 (c.7) opens new window creates a number of powers for public authorities across the UK, enabling them to respond to and manage the effects of the Coronavirus. The exercise of these powers comes with statutory requirements for those authorities to publish notice of the steps they have taken to deal with the pandemic.
To provide a permanent record of actions undertaken under the Coronavirus Act 2020, the relevant authorities have decided to publish these notices and directions in The Gazette:
- To ensure there is proper record with intellectual control over notifications made under the Act. Each notice in The Gazette is given a specific notice code, linked to the legislative provision the notice is made under. Users can quickly conduct an exhaustive search of these notices using one official and trusted source.
- To ensure that there is a permanent record of all notifications made under the Act. As the newspaper of record, The Gazette is permanently preserved by The National Archives and by the Legal Deposit Libraries.
- To ensure judicial notice. Information published in the relevant Gazette provides conclusive evidence under the Documentary Evidence Act 1882.
Where can I see coronavirus notices published in The Gazette?
You can view all Coronavirus notices, which have been placed under these powers, in a new dedicated area of The Gazette. The Gazette now contains a number of new Coronavirus notice codes:
- Coronavirus (Powers relating to potentially infectious persons) (notice 1703)
- Coronavirus (Powers to issue directions relating to events, gatherings and premises) (notice 1704)
- Coronavirus (Transportation, storage and disposal of dead bodies etc) (notice 1705)
- Coronavirus (Emergency volunteer compensation) (notice 1706)
- Coronavirus (Disapplication/modification of DBS provisions) (notice 1707)
- Coronavirus (Review of medical certificates of cause of death and cremations: Scotland) (notice 1708)
- Coronavirus (Information relating to food supply chains: financial penalties) (notice 1709)
- Coronavirus (Temporary closure of educational institutions and childcare premises) (notice 1710)
- Coronavirus (Temporary continuity directions etc: education, training and childcare) (notice 1711)
- Coronavirus (Postponement of elections (Scotland)) (notice 1712)
- Coronavirus (Failure to publish reports on the non-devolved provisions of Coronavirus Act 2020) (notice 1713)
- Coronavirus (Temporary registration of social workers (Scotland)) (notice 1714)
- Coronavirus (Freedom of Information extensions (Scotland)) (notice 1715)
- Coronavirus (Reporting of statutory duties (Scotland)) (notice 1716)
- Coronavirus (Serious and imminent threat declaration) (notice 1717)
The process for placing notices in The Gazette is quick and easy, with a special service in place to support authorities placing coronavirus notices.
Coronavirus legislation
Notices with legal effect are published in The Gazette, but if you want to find the legislation that relates to coronavirus, visit http://www.legislation.gov.uk/coronavirus opens new window.
Here are some key pieces of legislation:
- Coronavirus Act 2020 opens new window
- Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 opens new window
- The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 opens new window
- The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 opens new window
- Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (c. 22) opens new window
Official coronavirus guidance
Coronavirus guidance is available on gov.uk opens new window
Additional advice is available for: