FROM today, non-essential businesses in Andover have closed and their doors will remain shut for the next four weeks.

The move aims to stop the spread of coronavirus which has been spreading across Hampshire and other parts of the UK.

In the last seven days six people from the Test Valley area have died within 28 days of having a positive Covid test and 104 people have tested positive for the virus in the last 7 days.

Members of the public now must stay at home unless for specific reasons, such as attending school or college, or going to the supermarket.

Here is everything you need to know about lockdown 2 in our town.

1. You should stay at home as much as possible

Over the next four weeks, people are being encouraged to limit their interactions with people outside their household.

In general, the guidance states you must not meet people socially. However, you can exercise or meet in a public, outdoors space with people you live with, your support bubble (or as part of a childcare bubble), or with one other person.

2. Schools and colleges will stay open

Unlike in March, schools and colleges will remain open as normal. This is to avoid any more disruption to students' education.

The government said the risks to children’s education and wellbeing from not attending school outweighs any other risks.

But trade unions said Hampshire school staff are worried as children find social distancing “very difficult” and staff end up being in “close contact” with pupils.

Union bosses said staff in Hampshire schools are facing a “too high risk” and feel they do not have “adequate protection”.

Last week 22 schools in Hampshire reported covid cases.

Abbotts Ann Primary school in Andover is the latest school in the Test Valley area to confirm a positive case.

  1. Parking fees have been scrapped

Test Valley Borough Council revealed they will suspend parking fees in all of their car parks as of today.

Parking fees will be reinstated on Thursday, December 10 a week after the country is due to come out of lockdown.

Free parking for NHS workers is still in place.

4. Rationing is back

Despite essential items such as toilet roll and pasta appearing to be well-stocked in Andover, supermarket giants have now brought back restrictions for certain items.

Supermarket shelves across Andover remained relatively full on Monday morning, eight months after they were emptied in the run-up to the first Covid lockdown.

While some supermarkets were running low on the odd item, there were no problems obtaining it elsewhere.

But that hasn’t stopped Tesco bringing back restrictions for certain items in a bid to stop stores from running out of essentials.

In-store the purchase of flour, dried pasta, toilet roll, baby wipes and anti-bacterial wipes is restricted to three items per customer while online, there are additional limits for rice and canned vegetables.

Morrisons is also limiting a range of items including toilet roll, bleach, disinfectant and soap, with customers only allowed to buy three of each product at once.

There is also a limit on sales of larger packs of flour, rice and oil, which are sold in its world foods aisle.