By Tier announcement due today
The government is due to confirm today which tier each region will be placed under following lockdown.
The national lockdown will end on Wednesday and areas will then follow restrictions based on their given tiers.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock will set out the plans in the Commons later.
Most of England is expected to be placed in the two toughest tiers of coronavirus restrictions, with a high number in tier three – the highest level.
The BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg said she understood only a “handful” of areas would have the lowest level of restrictions, tier one.
Differences between the tiers include limits on where households can meet up – for instance, in the new tier one, the rule of six applies indoors and out. In tier two, the rule of six remains outdoors but there is no household mixing indoors.
Tier 3 will mean that pubs and restaurants will have to remain shut and that spectators will not be allowed back into football stadiums.
But to soften the blow, the government is promising that areas in the top tier will be able to receive rapid-result Covid-19 tests, with the Army helping out, to help bring down infections, as well as cash subsidies.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak told BBC Breakfast the new tiers represent a “tangible change compared to the last four weeks” of lockdown in England.
“There are significant differences to that – more of our life can resume, more of our economic activity can resume,” he said.
The system will be regularly reviewed and an area’s tier level may change before Christmas – the first review is scheduled for December 16.
Mr Hancock said: “Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice made by people up and down the country, we are able to move out of national lockdown and into more targeted local, tiered restrictions.
“I know for those of you faced with Tier 3 restrictions this will be a particularly difficult time but I want to reassure you that we’ll be supporting your areas with mass community testing and extra funding.
“By following the rules together we can get out of these tough measures.”
Photo: Erik Mclean
