What tier will London be in after December 2?

MATT Hancock has carved up England into a new set of tiers to suppress the coronavirus until a vaccine is available.

But what tier will London be in after lockdown ends on December 2? Here's everything you need to know.

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What tier will London be in on December 2? 

London will be under Tier 2 'high alert' restrictions from December 2. All 32 boroughs plus the City of London are included in this category.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "There is a lot of work to do in London.

"There are parts of London where the cases continue to rise, and we need to get that under control."

Mr Hancock also confirmed on November 26 that the second shutdown is lifting next week.

He told the Commons: "On 2 December we will lift the national restrictions across all of England and the following restrictions will be eased:

1. The stay-at-home requirement will end.

2. Non-essential retail, gyms, personal care will reopen. The wider leisure and entertainment sectors will also reopen, although to varying degrees.

3. Communal worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume.

4. People will no longer be limited to seeing one other person in outdoor public spaces, where the rule of 6 will now apply.

"The new regulations set out the restrictions applicable in each tier.

"We have taken into account advice from SAGE on the impact of the previous tiers to strengthen the measures in the tiers, and help enable areas to move more swiftly into lower tiers," he added.

The latest government data (Nov 11-17) shows London has 197.2 positive coronavirus cases per 100,000 people - higher than the 100 cases per 100,000 needed to put a region into tier two. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised Londoners for doing "exactly what has been asked of them since the start of this pandemic.

"Their monumental sacrifice managed to keep the number of cases lower in our city than most other parts of the country since the summer.

“Cases are gradually falling in most boroughs across the capital, and that’s why it is the right decision for London to have been placed in Tier 2 of the new Covid restrictions when lockdown ends on the 2nd of December.

"However there must be no complacency – we know how quickly this virus can spread and we all need to keep playing our part and drive numbers down further across our city."

“This decision will be a welcome boost for London’s shops, businesses and hospitality venues who were forced to close just as preparations for the Christmas period began.

"I am really pleased that they are able to open their doors again."

What tier was London in before the second lockdown and what were the restrictions? 

Before the second national lockdown, London was in tier two restrictions, meaning the coronavirus risk levels were “high”.

The additional measures were brought in on October 17 to curb the transmission of Covid-19 in the capital. 

Prior to lockdown, the tier two rules meant Londoners were forbidden to mix with other households indoors. 

Outdoor groups were strictly limited to six people and people from different households could not meet inside pubs, cafes or restaurants. 

In tier two, all non-essential shops stayed open. 

Tier two restrictions were put in place in late October as London’s R rate was rising and infections across multiple boroughs reached 100 cases per 100,000 people.