Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Updated 15 April 2021

Some of the rules on what you can and cannot do changed on 12 April as part of the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021'.

From 12 April:

• non-essential retail can reopen
• personal care services such as hairdressers and nail salons can reopen, including those provided from a mobile setting
• public buildings such as libraries and community centres can reopen
• outdoor hospitality venues can reopen, with table service only
• most outdoor attractions including zoos, theme parks, and drive-in performances (such as cinemas and concerts) can reopen
• some smaller outdoor events such as fetes, literary fairs, and fairgrounds can take place
• indoor leisure and sports facilities can reopen for individual exercise, or exercise with your household or support bubble
• all childcare and supervised activities are allowed indoors (as well as outdoors) for all children. Parent and child groups can take place indoors (as well as outdoors) for up to 15 people (children under 5 will not be counted in this number)
• weddings, civil partnership ceremonies, wakes and other commemorative events can take place for up to 15 people (anyone working is not included in this limit), including in indoor venues that are permitted to open or where an exemption applies. Wedding receptions can also take place for up to 15 people, but must take place outdoors, not including private gardens
• self-contained accommodation can stay open for overnight stays in England with your household or support bubble
• care home residents will be able to nominate two named individuals for regular indoor visits (following a rapid lateral flow test)
• you should continue to work from home if you can and minimise the amount that you travel where possible

Find full details of the national lockdown on GOV.UK.

Clinically extremely vulnerable people are no longer advised to stay at home, but you must continue to follow the national rules. 

We've updated our website with changes to our services following the new restrictions.

COVID-19 testing for people with symptoms (also known as PCR tests)

If you have any symptoms of coronavirus you should immediately self-isolate and book a test. You will be given a list of the current sites operating in your local area on the day you need it. All tests must be pre-booked.

We have local symptomatic testing sites in in Portslade, Preston Park and East Brighton. You can walk or cycle there, but please don’t use public transport. There is also a large regional testing site you can drive to at Plumpton Racecourse.

You can also chose to order a home test to be sent to you.

Essential workers (including NHS workers, teachers, social care and transport staff) will be prioritised for appointments.

Symptom-free (LFD) testing in Brighton & Hove

Supervised testing

Anyone over the age of 18 who lives or works in Sussex, who needs to leave home for work or to help others, who does not have access to a symptom-free test through other routes can book a symptom-free COVID-19 test at a participating pharmacy or test centre in Sussex.

Home testing

Families and households of nursery, school or college age children, including childcare and support bubbles can additionally collect home test kits from local sites or order them online. This is also available for households or support bubbles of adults who work in a school. Children under 12 should not be tested using an LFD test.

Primary and secondary school staff, and secondary school pupils will receive symptom-free tests through their schools.

Anyone who gets a positive result from a symptom-free (LFD) Covid test must take a follow-up PCR test within 2 days.

Find out more about symptom-free testing in Brighton & Hove.

Service changes

We are working hard to keep council services operating during the pandemic. Many face to face services are currently suspended, however you can contact services by phone, email and via the website.

Council customer service centres

• Customer service centres are closed. 
• Hove Town Hall civic reception is closed
• Brighton Town Hall is only open to registrars and the Local Land Charges Personal Search Terminal

Our switchboard is operating a reduced service.

See our service updates page for more information.

Business advice

If you would like further information and advice around Covid safety for your business, please send an email to Covid.Information@brighton-hove.gov.uk to speak to the Covid Information Team.

Report a business

If you think that a business is a serious risk to public health because they are not following current government guidelines, you can send an email to Covid.Information@brighton-hove.gov.uk to report it to the Covid Information Team.

If a business is trading when it should be closed under the current restrictions, you can send an email to trading.standards@brighton-hove.gov.uk to report it to Trading Standards.

Report an individual

If you think that a person is not following government guidelines, you can report it to Sussex Police.

Contact Sussex Police

You should only report something if you think there is a serious breach of the rules like a large gathering of people obviously from lots of different households.