Faye Brown
The British Government has announced which tiers each area of England will be in when the national lockdown ends on December 2. The vast majority of places have been put under tiers two and three, which means they face the toughest restrictions.
The new system is slightly different to the one that was in place before the lockdown. It is uniform and applies nationally without any negotiations with regional governments, meaning they cannot impose additional measures like before. While shops, gyms and hairdressers will be allowed to open across all tiers, restrictions on hospitality venues and households mixing vary. Pubs and bars can only open as takeaways under tier three while in tier two they must operate as restaurants and can only serve alcohol alongside a substantial meal. Another key difference under the new system is that the 10pm pub curfew has been extended. In areas where pubs are allowed to re-open, last orders must be called at 10pm but people will get an extra hour to finish their food and drink. There are some key differences between the old and new lockdown system. With all that in mind, it’s important you know which tier you are living in and what rules apply. How can you check which tier your area is in under the new system? The postcode checker allowing you to see which tier your area falls into has now launched on the Government’s website.
The NHS Covid-19 app can also tell you what the current risk level is according to your postcode. How were the tiers decided? Ministers have briefly outlined the five key factors that determined their decisions. These include case detection rates in all age groups, case detection rates in the over 60s and the rate at which cases are rising or falling. PM teases announcement of which areas will fall into which tier after Dec 2.
The two other measures are the positivity rate – the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken – and pressure on the NHS, including current and projected occupancy. Which areas have been put in the highest tier? To be added in on Thursday What are the rules in each tier? Describing how the tiers had become tougher, Boris Johnson said: In tier one, people should continue to work from home where possible In tier two, only pubs serving substantial meals can serve alcohol In tier three, hospitality will close except for delivery and takeaway, and indoor entertainment venues must also close. In areas where pubs and restaurants are allowed to open, last orders will now be at 10pm, with drinkers allowed an extra hour to finish their drinks. Spectator sport and indoor performances – such as those at the theatre – will also return in the lower two tiers, although with reduced capacity. In terms of households mixing, people living under tier one restrictions can meet up to five other people indoors and outdoors.
No mixing of households is allowed indoors in tier two and a maximum of six people can meet outdoors. In tier three, the toughest tier, household mixing is not allowed indoors, or in most outdoor places. Exemptions apply to outdoor public spaces such as parks and beaches. – Metro UK
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