On Monday 4 January, the Prime Minister announced a new national lockdown to counter the steep rise in coronavirus (Covid-19) infections in England.

Here we provide information on what the restrictions mean for sport and physical activity.

The national lockdown restrictions mean you should minimise time spent outside your home.

It's against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they're part of your household or support bubble. You can only leave your home to exercise, and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting). This should be limited to once per day, and you shouldn't travel outside your local area.

You can exercise in a public outdoor place:

• by yourself
• with the people you live with
• with your support bubble (if you're legally permitted to form one)
• in a childcare bubble where providing childcare
• or, when on your own, with one person from another household (going for a walk with someone counts as exercise).

Public outdoor places include:

• parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests
• public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)
• the grounds of a heritage site
• playgrounds.

There are, however, two exemptions to the national lockdown restrictions for sport and activity:

• Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue.
• Elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) - or those on an official elite sports pathway - are allowed to meet in larger groups, to compete and train.

Outdoor sports venues, including tennis courts, golf courses and swimming pools, must close.

More information about what is and isn't allowed is available on the government's website.