What’s closed in Tier 4 Covid lockdown? List of shops and businesses forced to shut under new rules

NON-ESSENTIAL shops, hairdressers and nail salons are among the businesses that must close in Tier 4 areas.

On December 30, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced three quarters of England - including the North East and most of the Midlands - would be facing the toughest restrictions from 00.01 on New Year's Eve.

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London and parts of the South East of England were already in Tier 4 after a mutant strain of coronavirus sparked a sudden surge in hospitalisations.

Last week, Mr Hancock then told MPs that most new cases were from the new variant, which is up to 54% more contagious.

The new rules mean the closure of non-essential shops and businesses - but essential retail will be allowed to stay open.

Tier 4 is broadly similar to previous lockdowns, meaning businesses such as gyms and hairdressers must also close.

List of businesses that must close in Tier 4

The list of businesses that are closed under Tier 4 restrictions are:

• Non-essential shops
• Hairdressers
• Nail salons
• Barbers
• Tattoo and piercing shops
• Beauty salons
• Tanning salons
• Gyms
• Leisure centres
• Betting shops
• Vehicle showrooms (except for rentals)
• Tailors
• Tobacco and vape shops
• Market stalls selling non-essential goods
• Community centres (except for providing education and training)

Which businesses are closed in Tier 3?

Businesses that are closed in Tier 3, and therefore also shut in Tier 4 as well, are:

• Bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed except for takeaway and delivery
• Hotels, guest houses and B&Bs are closed
• Indoor play centres and areas, including inflatable parks and soft play centres and areas (other than for people who have a disability)
• Trampolining parks (other than for elite athletes, people with a disability, supervised activities for children and for formal education or training purposes)
• Casinos
• Bingo halls
• Bowling alleys
• Indoor skating rinks (other than for elite athletes, professional dancers and choreographers, people with a disability, supervised activities for children and for formal education or training purposes)
• Amusement arcades and adult gaming centres
• Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues
• Laser quests and escape rooms
• Cinemas, theatres concert halls – other than drive-in events, broadcasting performances, training or rehearsal
• Circuses
• Snooker and pool halls (other than for elite athletes)
• Zoos, safari parks, and aquariums
• Other animal attractions including farms
• Water parks and aqua parks
• Model villages
• Museums, galleries and sculpture parks
• Botanical or other gardens, biomes or greenhouses
• Theme parks, fairgrounds and funfairs
• Adventure playgrounds and parks, including ziplining
• Visitor attractions at film studios,
• Heritage sites such as castles, stately homes or heritage railways
• Landmarks including observation wheels and viewing platforms

The new strain is blamed for a sudden surge in hospitalisations and evidence shows a dramatic hike in positive cases in London recently.

Fears are now growing that a third national lockdown could be imposed imminently to curb the spread of a mutant strain of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, a teachers’ union has launched legal action against the government demanding all schools to shut.