The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021

Amendment of regulation 5 (interpretation of Part 1)

12.—(1) Regulation 5 is amended as follows.

(2) In the heading, for “Interpretation” substitute “General interpretation”.

(3) In paragraph (1)—

(a) in the definition of “close contact”, in paragraph (b), after “individual,” insert “or”;

(b) after the definition of “close contact” insert—

““coronavirus” means severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2);

“coronavirus related research” has the meaning given in paragraph (4);”;

(c) in the definition of “P” for “regulation 2(2), (2C), (2D) or (2G)” substitute “regulation 2A(2)(a), 2A(3)(a), 2B(2) or 2B(3)”;

(d) after the definition of “R” and “responsible adult” insert—

““relevant person” means—

(a)

the Secretary of State,

(b)

a person who is employed or engaged for the purposes of the health service (within the meaning of section 275 of the National Health Service Act 2006(1)) in communicable disease control, or

(c)

a person employed or engaged by a local authority in communicable disease control;

“self-isolate” has the meaning given in regulation 2;”.

(4) After paragraph (2) insert—

“(3) For the purposes of regulations 2A, 2B and 2C a notification or, as the case may be, advice has effect if given—

(a) orally (either in person or by telephone),

(b) by text message,

(c) by email, or

(d) by letter.

(4) “Coronavirus related research” means health research (within the meaning given in section 110(3) of the Care Act 2014(2)) which—

(a) relates to the transmission, diagnosis or prevention of coronavirus, and

(b) is carried out by, or on behalf of, a person who has approval from an ethics review body to carry out that research.

(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4) “ethics review body” means—

(a) a research ethics committee recognised or established by the Health Research Authority under the Care Act 2014 (see section 109 of that Act), or

(b) a body appointed by any of the following for the purposes of assessing the ethics of research involving individuals—

(i) the Secretary of State;

(ii) the Secretary of State acting jointly with the Scottish Ministers, the Welsh Ministers or a Northern Ireland department;

(iii) an institution that is a research institution for the purposes of Chapter 4A of Part 7 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003(3) (see section 457 of that Act).”.

(1)

2006 c. 41. There are amendments to section 275 but none is relevant to these Regulations.

(2)

2014 c. 23.

(3)

2003 c. 1.