BORIS Johnson has introduced a fourth tier of coronavirus rules in a bid to curb spiralling infection rates in parts of the country.
But which UK areas are affected by the new Covid-19 restrictions? Here’s what you need to know.
The government has announced a fourth tier of coronavirus restrictions
Which areas are in Tier 4?
On December 19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a series of new Tier 4 restrictions intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The parts of London, the South East and the East of England which were previously in Tier 3 moved into the new Tier 4, affecting nearly 18 million people.
In the South East this covers Kent, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey (excluding Waverley), Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings.
In the East of England it applies to Bedford, Central Bedford, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough, Hertfordshire and Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).
It also included all of the capital’s 32 boroughs and the City of London.
The Tier 4 measures came into force from 00:01am on December 20 and will last for two weeks.
Asked what advice he would give somebody who had already packed their bag to leave a Tier 4 area for Christmas, Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical advisor, replied: “Please unpack it.”
The restrictions will be reviewed on December 30.
The new measures came amid concerns a rise in infection rates and concerns that a new variant of coronavirus is “spreading rapidly” in parts of the country.
The Prime Minister said restrictions would be “broadly equivalent to the national restrictions which were in place in England in November”.
You must stay at home and only leave for a specific purpose or if you have a “reasonable excuse”, he said.
This includes going to work if it cannot be done from home, shopping for essentials such as food and medicine, attending education or training, using registered childcare, outdoor exercise and for medical reasons.
Non-essential shops as well as indoor gyms, leisure facilities, and hairdressers were told to close.
Individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space.
But unlike in November, communal worship will be allowed to continue.
There is a travel ban for anyone living in a Tier 4 area.
People in affected areas have to stay at home and not to travel to other parts of the country, including for Christmas Day.
The PM has said the travel ban would be enforced by law.
