MILLIONS of Brits are already living under tightened coronavirus restrictions after the government announced a new Tier 4 last week.
But which areas of the country have gone into Tier 4 on Boxing Day? Here’s what you need to know.
Which areas are in Tier 4?
All the boroughs of London, the South East and the East of England which were previously in Tier 3 moved into Tier 4 on December 20, affecting nearly 18 million people.
All the capital’s 32 boroughs and the City of London are now in Tier 4.
In the East of England, current restrictions apply to Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough, Hertfordshire and Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).
On December 23, Matt Hancock announced a raft of new areas would be plunged into the toughest restrictions from Boxing Day (December 26).
These areas include Sussex, Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, parts of Essex not already in Tier 4, Waverley, and Hampshire.
The original list is as follows:
- Kent
- Buckinghamshire
- Berkshire
- Surrey (excluding Waverley)
- The boroughs of Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Hastings and Rother
- All 32 London boroughs and the city of London.
- Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough
- Hertfordshire
- Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).
These areas joined Tier 4 on Boxing Day:
- Brighton and Hove
- Oxfordshire
- Norfolk
- Cambridgeshire
- Those parts of Essex not yet in Tier 4
- Waverley
- Southampton
- Suffolk
- Hampshire
- West Sussex
- Those parts of East Sussex not already listed above
When did Tier 4 restrictions start?
The original Tier 4 measures came into force from 00:01am on December 20.
They are set to remain in place for two weeks, with the first review 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.
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.”
What are the rules in Tier 4?
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson 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.
The full list of rules are:
- Pubs, bars and restaurants will only be able to serve takeaway
- Hotels must close their doors
- Indoor gyms and leisure centres must close
- Personal care services and non-essential retail must close
- People living in Tier 4 cannot bubble with other households over Christmas
- Residents should stay at home as much as possible
- Residents should not enter or leave Tier 4 areas unless for essential reasons
- Residents from Tier 4 areas should not stay overnight in other areas
- They cannot go abroad apart from “limited exceptions” such as work
- People should work from home if they can
- Communal worship may continue
- Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies should not take place except in exceptional circumstances
There is a travel ban for anyone living in a Tier 4 area.
People in affected areas have to stay at home and not travel to other parts of the country, including for Christmas Day.
The PM has said the travel ban would be enforced by law.
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