STAY PUT
Which areas are in Tier 4?
A FURTHER 20 million Brits will be living under tightened coronavirus restrictions on December 31 after Hancock's announcement today.
But which areas of the country will go into Tier 4 from tonight? Here's what you need to know.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
2
Which areas are in Tier 4?
Affected areas include Kent, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey, the boroughs of Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings, all 32 London boroughs and the city of London.
Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough, Hertfordshire and are also Tier 4.
On December 26, Sussex, Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, parts of Essex not already in Tier 4, Waverley, and Hampshire were also added to the highest tier.
And on December 31, parts of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Gloucestershire will all move into Tier 4.
Greater Manchester, Somerset, Isle of Wight, New Forest, Coventry, Cumbria, Bournemouth, and Swindon will also join them in the top tier.
All English people are now living in Tier 3 or 4 lockdown - apart from 2,000 people living on the Isles of Scilly.
Full list of areas in Tier 4
Full list of areas in Tier 4 after Boxing Day, December 26:
- Kent
- Buckinghamshire
- Berkshire
- Surrey
- The boroughs of Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings
- All 32 London boroughs and the city of London
- Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough
- Hertfordshire
- Essex
- Sussex
- Oxfordshire
- Norfolk
- Cambridgeshire
- Hampshire
Areas added to Tier 4 on December 31:
- Leicester City
- Leicestershire (Oadby and Wigston, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Blaby, Charnwood, North West Leicestershire, Melton)
- Lincolnshire (City of Lincoln, Boston, South Kesteven, West Lindsey, North Kesteven, South Holland, East Lindsey)
- North Kesteven, South Holland, East Lindsey)
- Northamptonshire (Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton, South Northamptonshire, Wellingborough)
- Derby and Derbyshire (Derby, Amber Valley, South Derbyshire, Bolsover, North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield, Erewash, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak)
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (Gedling, Ashfield, Mansfield, Rushcliffe, Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood, Nottinghamshire, Broxtowe)
- Birmingham and Black Country (Dudley, Birmingham, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton)
- Coventry
- Solihull
- Warwickshire (Rugby, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Warwick, North Warwickshire, Stratford-upon-Avon)
- Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (East Staffordshire, Stafford, South Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Staffordshire Moorlands, Newcastle under Lyme, Tamworth, Stoke-on-Trent)
- Lancashire (Burnley, Pendle, Blackburn with Darwen, Ribble Valley, Blackpool, Preston, Hyndburn, Chorley, Fylde, Lancaster, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire, Wyre)
- Cheshire and Warrington (Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington)
- Cumbria (Eden, Carlisle, South Lakeland, Barrow-in-Furness, Copeland, Allerdale)
- Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan)
- Tees Valley (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees )
- North East (County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, Sunderland)
- Gloucestershire (Gloucester, Forest of Dean, Cotswolds, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Cheltenham)
- Somerset Council (Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton, South Somerset)
- Swindon
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Isle of Wight
- New Forest
2
When did Tier 4 restrictions start?
The original Tier 4 measures came into force from 00:01am on December 20.
On December 30, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told millions more Brits they must go into the toughest lockdown in response to a new Covid strain.
The new measures came amid concerns a rise in infection rates and concerns that a new variant of coronavirus is ";spreading rapidly" in parts of the country.
A review of the Tier 4 measure is expected to take place on January 13 - two weeks after the last review on December 30.
How rules differ between Tier 3 and 4
- In Tier 4, you must stay at home and should only leave to travel for education, childcare or exercise. You can only meet one other person outdoors.
- Brits in Tier 3 can leave the house as they choose, provided they follow social distancing guidelines. Households are banned from mixing indoors, but you can meet up to six people in public outdoor spaces such as parks.
- All shops, including non-essential retail such as toys, clothing and homeware, remain open in Tier 3 areas but are shut in Tier 4.
- Hairdressers, barbers, beauty salons and all entertainment venues are open in Tier 3, providing they operate under Covid safety guidelines.
- Gyms are open in Tier 3, but only for individual exercise with classes halted. They must remain shut in Tier 4.
- Pubs, bars and restaurants remain closed in both tiers but can offer delivery or take-out options.
- In Tier 4, travel for some reasons - including education, childcare or an emergency - will be allowed.
- People in Tier 4 and Tier 3 can still go to work - but only as a last resort if they cannot work from home.
What are the rules in Tier 4?
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson said restrictions would be “broadly equivalent to the national restrictions which were in place in England in November".
You must stay at home and only leave for a specific purpose or if you have a "reasonable excuse", he said.
This includes going to work if it cannot be done from home, shopping for essentials such as food and medicine, attending education or training, using registered childcare, outdoor exercise and for medical reasons.
The rules are strict: you cannot meet other people indoors unless you live with them or they are part of your existing support bubble.
Outdoors, you can only meet one person from another household in a public place.
Support and childcare bubbles can continue in Tier 4 areas.
Early years settings and childminders can remain open as normal, while nannies are also allowed to carry on providing services, including in the home.
You are allowed to take unlimited exercise alone, or in a public outdoor place with your household, support bubble, or one other person.
But indoor leisure and sports facilities, including gyms, must close.
Non-essential retail must close, including clothing and homeware stores, betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops.
But, these stores can continue to operate click-and-collect systems, if goods are pre-ordered and collected off the premises, and delivery services.
Cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs are having to stay closed under Tier 4.
They can, however, provide food and drink through takeaways until 11pm, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery.
Elsewhere, entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums, galleries and casinos also must shut their doors.
more on coronavirus
There is a travel ban for anyone living in a Tier 4 area.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
People in affected areas have to stay at home and not travel to other parts of the country, including for New Year.
The PM has said the travel ban would be enforced by law.
Matt Hancock says we have got a 'long way to go' after being asked if Tier 4 will continue into New Year
Topics