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Covid-19 tiers: Almost all of England facing tough virus rules | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Health Secretary Matt Hancock sets out England's new coronavirus tier system | Health Secretary Matt Hancock sets out England's new coronavirus tier system |
Most of England will be in the two toughest levels of measures when lockdown ends next week. | |
The new coronavirus tier restrictions will mean 55 million people are banned from mixing with other households indoors after 2 December. | |
Large parts of the Midlands, North East and North West, including Manchester, as well as Kent, are in tier three. | Large parts of the Midlands, North East and North West, including Manchester, as well as Kent, are in tier three. |
A majority of places are in the second-highest level - tier two - including London, and Liverpool city region. | A majority of places are in the second-highest level - tier two - including London, and Liverpool city region. |
The Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly - where there have been no recorded cases in the past week - will be the only areas of England in the lowest level of curbs - tier one. | The Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly - where there have been no recorded cases in the past week - will be the only areas of England in the lowest level of curbs - tier one. |
Meanwhile, a rush for details saw the government website repeatedly crash. | Meanwhile, a rush for details saw the government website repeatedly crash. |
Health Secretary Matt Hancock set out the reasoning behind the tier decisions for each area in a written ministerial statement. A full list of areas and tiers is below. | |
'Dig deep' | 'Dig deep' |
Mr Hancock told the Commons: "Hope is on the horizon but we still have further to go. So we must all dig deep." | Mr Hancock told the Commons: "Hope is on the horizon but we still have further to go. So we must all dig deep." |
"We should see these restrictions not as a boundary to push but as a limit on what the public health advice says we can safely do in any area," he added. | "We should see these restrictions not as a boundary to push but as a limit on what the public health advice says we can safely do in any area," he added. |
Around 23 million people across 21 local authority areas will be in the highest level - tier three - including Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Tees Valley Combined Authority and North East Combined Authority. | Around 23 million people across 21 local authority areas will be in the highest level - tier three - including Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Tees Valley Combined Authority and North East Combined Authority. |
Lancashire, Leicester, Lincolnshire, Slough, Bristol, Kent and Medway will also be in tier three. | Lancashire, Leicester, Lincolnshire, Slough, Bristol, Kent and Medway will also be in tier three. |
Differences between the new tiers include restrictions on where households can meet up: | Differences between the new tiers include restrictions on where households can meet up: |
tier one: the rule of six applies everywhere, indoors and out | tier one: the rule of six applies everywhere, indoors and out |
tier two: the rule of six applies outdoors but there is no household mixing anywhere indoors | tier two: the rule of six applies outdoors but there is no household mixing anywhere indoors |
tier three: can only meet other households in outdoor public spaces like parks, where the rule of six applies | tier three: can only meet other households in outdoor public spaces like parks, where the rule of six applies |
Gyms and close-contact beauty services like hairdressers will be able to open in all tiers. Guidance said people in all tiers who can work from home, should continue to do so. | |
Pubs and restaurants in tier two can only open to serve "substantial meals", while those in tier three can only operate as a takeaway or delivery service. | |
Starting off high | |
Make no mistake, this is only a gradual step out of lockdown. | |
At the start of November more than half the country was in tier one, meaning households could mix indoors in people's homes and in pubs and restaurants as long as they kept to the rule of six. | |
Now that is only possible in Cornwall, the Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly. | |
Infection rates are showing early signs of coming down, but the government is erring on the side of caution. | |
Research suggests they were too slow to put areas in higher tiers before lockdown. | |
They do not want to make that mistake again - and so are starting off high in the hope they can move areas down the tiers. | |
But it is not only about which area is in which tier. | |
The top two tiers have been beefed up, particularly in regards to hospitality. | |
One ray of hope, the government says, is the experience of Liverpool. | |
Before lockdown it was in tier three and seeing among the highest infection rates in the country. | |
Today it has now been put in tier two with infection levels pretty close to the national average. | |
BBC analysis showed 32.2 million people live in tier two areas, 23.3 million in tier three and just 713,573 in tier one. | |
The system will be regularly reviewed and an area's tier level may change before Christmas - the first review is scheduled for 16 December. | The system will be regularly reviewed and an area's tier level may change before Christmas - the first review is scheduled for 16 December. |
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead a Downing Street news conference at 17:00 GMT. | Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead a Downing Street news conference at 17:00 GMT. |
Decisions on tiers are based on public health recommendations informed by a series of public health data, including Covid-19 cases among the over-60s, positivity rates, pressure on the NHS and how quickly cases are rising or falling. | |
LIVE UPDATES: Hancock sets out England's new tier arrangements | LIVE UPDATES: Hancock sets out England's new tier arrangements |
EXPLAINED: What are the new rules? | EXPLAINED: What are the new rules? |
LOOK-UP TOOL: How many cases in your area? | LOOK-UP TOOL: How many cases in your area? |
MASS TESTING: Where is it available? | MASS TESTING: Where is it available? |
Areas placed in tier three will be eligible for rapid or "lateral flow" tests - which give results in about 20 minutes without the need for a lab - to help bring down infections and reduce restrictions. | Areas placed in tier three will be eligible for rapid or "lateral flow" tests - which give results in about 20 minutes without the need for a lab - to help bring down infections and reduce restrictions. |
And they will be offered support by NHS Test and Trace and the armed forces to deliver a six-week rapid community testing programme. | And they will be offered support by NHS Test and Trace and the armed forces to deliver a six-week rapid community testing programme. |
Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have the power to set their own coronavirus regulations, though all four UK nations have agreed a joint plan for Christmas. | Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have the power to set their own coronavirus regulations, though all four UK nations have agreed a joint plan for Christmas. |
The new tiers will replace England's current second national lockdown from 2 December | The new tiers will replace England's current second national lockdown from 2 December |
In tier three Lancashire, chair of the council's resilience forum, Angie Ridgwell, said there was "disappointment" but also clarity over what needed to happen to lower infection rates. | In tier three Lancashire, chair of the council's resilience forum, Angie Ridgwell, said there was "disappointment" but also clarity over what needed to happen to lower infection rates. |
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said the city region's move from tier three to tier two was a "great result" and thanked residents for their efforts to drive down the virus alongside a trial of mass testing. | Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said the city region's move from tier three to tier two was a "great result" and thanked residents for their efforts to drive down the virus alongside a trial of mass testing. |
"We embraced tier three restrictions and worked fast to deliver the testing pilot, bringing in the Army to help us deliver an efficient service," he said. | "We embraced tier three restrictions and worked fast to deliver the testing pilot, bringing in the Army to help us deliver an efficient service," he said. |
Mr Hancock said Covid-19 cases in Liverpool had fallen 69% in six weeks and the city showed that "the more people get tested, the quicker an area can move down through the tiers". | Mr Hancock said Covid-19 cases in Liverpool had fallen 69% in six weeks and the city showed that "the more people get tested, the quicker an area can move down through the tiers". |
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the decision to place the capital in the second-highest level - tier two - was the result of people's "monumental sacrifice" and would be a "welcome boost" for businesses. | Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the decision to place the capital in the second-highest level - tier two - was the result of people's "monumental sacrifice" and would be a "welcome boost" for businesses. |
Full list - which tier is your area in? | Full list - which tier is your area in? |
Tier 1: Medium alert | Tier 1: Medium alert |
South East | South East |
Isle of Wight | Isle of Wight |
South West | South West |
Cornwall | Cornwall |
Isles of Scilly | Isles of Scilly |
Tier 2: High alert | Tier 2: High alert |
North West | North West |
Cumbria | Cumbria |
Liverpool City Region | Liverpool City Region |
Warrington and Cheshire | Warrington and Cheshire |
Yorkshire | Yorkshire |
York | York |
North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire |
West Midlands | West Midlands |
Worcestershire | Worcestershire |
Herefordshire | Herefordshire |
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin | Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin |
East Midlands | East Midlands |
Rutland | Rutland |
Northamptonshire | Northamptonshire |
East of England | East of England |
Suffolk | Suffolk |
Hertfordshire | Hertfordshire |
Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough | Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough |
Norfolk | Norfolk |
Essex, Thurrock and Southend on Sea | Essex, Thurrock and Southend on Sea |
Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes | Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes |
London | London |
All 32 boroughs plus the City of London | All 32 boroughs plus the City of London |
South East | South East |
East Sussex | East Sussex |
West Sussex | West Sussex |
Brighton and Hove | Brighton and Hove |
Surrey | Surrey |
Reading | Reading |
Wokingham | Wokingham |
Bracknell Forest | Bracknell Forest |
Windsor and Maidenhead | Windsor and Maidenhead |
West Berkshire | West Berkshire |
Hampshire (except the Isle of Wight), Portsmouth and Southampton | Hampshire (except the Isle of Wight), Portsmouth and Southampton |
Buckinghamshire | Buckinghamshire |
Oxfordshire | Oxfordshire |
South West | South West |
South Somerset, Somerset West and Taunton, Mendip and Sedgemoor | South Somerset, Somerset West and Taunton, Mendip and Sedgemoor |
Bath and North East Somerset | Bath and North East Somerset |
Dorset | Dorset |
Bournemouth | Bournemouth |
Christchurch | Christchurch |
Poole | Poole |
Gloucestershire | Gloucestershire |
Wiltshire and Swindon | Wiltshire and Swindon |
Devon | Devon |
Tier 3: Very High alert | Tier 3: Very High alert |
North East | North East |
Tees Valley Combined Authority: | Tees Valley Combined Authority: |
Hartlepool | Hartlepool |
Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough |
Stockton-on-Tees | Stockton-on-Tees |
Redcar and Cleveland | Redcar and Cleveland |
Darlington | Darlington |
North East Combined Authority: | North East Combined Authority: |
Sunderland | Sunderland |
South Tyneside | South Tyneside |
Gateshead | Gateshead |
Newcastle upon Tyne | Newcastle upon Tyne |
North Tyneside | North Tyneside |
County Durham | County Durham |
Northumberland | Northumberland |
North West | North West |
Greater Manchester | Greater Manchester |
Lancashire | Lancashire |
Blackpool | Blackpool |
Blackburn with Darwen | Blackburn with Darwen |
Yorkshire and The Humber | Yorkshire and The Humber |
The Humber | The Humber |
West Yorkshire | West Yorkshire |
South Yorkshire | South Yorkshire |
West Midlands | West Midlands |
Birmingham and Black Country | Birmingham and Black Country |
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent | Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent |
Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull | Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull |
East Midlands | East Midlands |
Derby and Derbyshire | Derby and Derbyshire |
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire | Nottingham and Nottinghamshire |
Leicester and Leicestershire | Leicester and Leicestershire |
Lincolnshire | Lincolnshire |
South East | South East |
Slough (remainder of Berkshire is tier 2: High alert) | Slough (remainder of Berkshire is tier 2: High alert) |
Kent and Medway | Kent and Medway |
South West | South West |
Bristol | Bristol |
South Gloucestershire | South Gloucestershire |
North Somerset | North Somerset |
Source: HM Government - 26 November 2020 | |
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How have you been affected by coronavirus? What have lockdown restrictions meant for you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | How have you been affected by coronavirus? What have lockdown restrictions meant for you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
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