Following the televised announcement on Sunday and the publishing of more detailed guidelines on Monday and the clarification of aspects to various organisations by the UK Government, the TOMCC are also updating their response to the measures in the UK that will be in place from Wednesday.
Firstly something that will be of interest to all. The easing of the restrictions will make it possible to start issuing Membership Cards in a timely manner. Since the restrictions have been in place it has not largely been possible to have Membership Cards posted out, but from Wednesday we will be catching up with the backlog and hope to be back to a two-week turn-around for issuing Membership Cards by the end of this month.
Unfortunately Branch Meetings in the UK will still not be possible at this time. We will need to wait for the lifting of restrictions on the hospitality industry before we will be allowed to visit pubs and cafes.
It will also not be possible to hold Branch Ride Outs in the UK at this time. We will again need to wait until the restrictions on meeting people are lifted.
What the UK Government will be allowing from Wednesday 13th, though only for those living in England, is for you to use your motorcycles to travel to anywhere within England for the purposes of exercise. You will also be allowed to meet one person (who is not from your household) in a public space. This means that you could ride, on your own, to meet another member of your family or even a Club Member in a public area – though you will still need to follow the Social Distancing Rules and stay 6’7” (2 metres) apart.
The UK Government have also stated that face coverings should be worn in any enclosed spaces where Social Distancing is not possible. Because these face coverings need not be medical grade you could happily use a motorcycle neck tube to cover your mouth and nose. The TOMCC has a suitable branded neck tube on sale through the TOMCC Merchandise website. UPDATE: These are now Sold Out until mid-June.
If you are considering taking your Triumph out on Wednesday then please give it a check-over first. If it has been standing for quite a few weeks then there may have been a change in its condition and the last thing you want is to breakdown on what might be the busiest day on the roads for quite a while. Also, in some areas, the NHS is still stretched which could affect both you and the service if you were to have a medical emergency.
The UK Government has made it very clear that if the rate of infection rises then the restrictions will be re-applied. We ask all our members to show common sense, avoid places that may be popular and crowded, and keep the chances of infection at a minimum so we can all return to normal the sooner.
We have been very proud of the restraint shown by our Members so far throughout this difficult period. Thank you for your understanding.
