DRINKERS BYE & DRY
Thousands hit pubs for last hurrah of the year ahead of Tier 3 rules in London and parts of South East from midnight
THOUSANDS of Brits hit the pubs last night for a last hurrah before London and parts of the South East went into Tier 3.
Drinkers enjoyed impromptu Christmas parties and dozens of restaurants were packed before toughest lockdown rules hit at midnight.
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It came hours after Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced 11million more Brits in London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire would be put under Tier 3 restrictions.
Covid marshals were on patrol as drinkers spilled out onto the streets after kicking out time in Soho, central London.
Some businesses in the city opened their doors from 9am on Tuesday and Wetherspoons slashed real ale pints to 99p in a bid to clear stock.
Thousands visited pubs across the capital early in the morning to make the most out of their time out.
One group of friends enjoyed their first round at 10.30am in Spoons in South West London.
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The pub remained busy serving drinkers their last pint in a pub for 2020.
And during the evening, many Brits have flocked to meet pals.
Pubs and bars filled up with Londoners enduring the freezing weather to sip a pint outside.
Many were seen in high spirits enjoying a festive night out in the busy Soho area. Queues built outside bars and restaurants in the area.
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In Putney, South London, The Green Man, which boasts Britain’s biggest heated beer garden, was fully booked.
A barmaid there said: “We’re full from 5pm, inside and out.
“People have been calling up to book for their last chance to visit a pub before Christmas.”
A restaurant boss in Wandsworth, South London, said: “People are bringing bookings forward.”
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Under new rules, only businesses offering takeaway and delivery will be allowed to remain open.
People in Tier 3 are not allowed to meet up with anyone from outside their household, except for in outdoor public places such as parks.
Speaking to MPs on December 14, Matt Hancock said that in some areas the doubling time of the number of new cases is as short as seven days.
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The Health Secretary said on Monday afternoon: "When the virus is growing exponentially, there is not a moment to spare."
"Hospitals across the countries of Essex and Kent are already under pressure, and we know the doubling of cases will be mirrored in hospital admissions, and it only takes a few doublings for the NHS to be overwhelmed," Mr Hancock said.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "This is incredibly disappointing for our businesses who have suffered so much already this year.
"But it’s clear that the virus is accelerating in the wrong direction once again across London and the lives of Londoners are at risk."
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It comes as a new strain of coronavirus which spreads even faster has been identified in large parts of England.
Mr Hancock warned a new "variant" has been discovered in up to 60 places across the UK.
The World Health Organisation has been informed of the alarming news.
In Essex, Basildon, Brentwood, Harlow, Epping Forest, Castle Point, Rochford, Braintree & Chelmsford, Thurrock and South-End-on-Sea borough councils are now all in the toughest measures.
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And in Hertfordshire, Broxbourne, Hertsmere, Watford and the Three Rivers local authority area are in Tier 3.
Over the weekend, drinkers across the UK hit the town in York, Liverpool and London.
At the time, those areas were in Tier 2, which allows households to meet indoors and order drinks so long as they are accompanied by "substantial meals".
Last weekend saw extra Covid cops and marshals being deployed to London to deal with the extra people on the streets.
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Sadiq Khan announced the last-minute blitz and said there would be even more "hands, face, space" signs on the capital's high streets in a desperate attempt to quell the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, the PM is reportedly preparing to urge Brits to isolate before meeting loved ones for Christmas.
It comes as Mr Johnson vows to forge ahead with plans to relax Covid rules for the festive season - despite opposition from all sides.
Talks between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland over the issue were postponed tonight, with no resolution for Brits waiting for clarity.
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But it's understood the PM will seek to compromise with isolation requirements for those planning to see loved ones during the break.
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Officials will stop short of changing rules that say three households can meet from December 23 to 27, it's claimed.
The Government has vowed to keep Christmas for months, telling the public they can meet loved ones if they stick with lockdowns and the new three-tier system.
Millions more head into Tier 3
The measures will hit Brits living across London and the south-east
Today’s closures will force 2,000 pubs to pour five million pints down the drain.
The wasted ale is expected to cost boozers in London about £25million.
Scores of Wetherspoon pubs did their best to sell off what they could at 99p a pint before the new rules came into force.
The shutdown leaves the hospitality industry facing 150,000 job losses if pubs cannot reopen.
And ten million more will be under Tier 3 from midnight.
The British Beer and Pub Association said: “Tier 3 is another nail in the coffin for London’s pubs.”
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Anti-vax protesters clash with police in central London hours before capital plunges into Tier 3 Covid restrictions
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