Almost all of southern England plunged into Tier 4 on Boxing Day
The vast majority of the South of England will be plunged into Tier 4 on Boxing Day, leaving half of England facing the strictest coronavirus restrictions.
On Sunday morning London and southeast England were put into new ‘Tier 4’ restrictions. The restrictions are akin to that of lockdown, with all non-essential businesses closed and residents told to stay home.
Now the remaining areas of Essex that escaped Tier 4 at the weekend will the restrictions opposed upon them, as well as Waverley in Surrey.
Oxfordshire, which was previously in Tier 3, has also moved into Tier 4
Moving from Tier 2 to Tier 4 are Suffolk, Norfolk, and Hampshire with the exception of the New Forest.
Further north, Northampton, Warrington, and Cheshire East and West will move from Tier 2 to Tier 3.
In the South West previously Tier 1 Cornwall will move to Tier 2.
Speaking at a press conference today health secretary Matt Hancock said: “Tier 3 not enough to control new variant, this is not a hypothesis this is a fact, and we’ve seen it on the ground.”
Ministers met earlier today to discuss what further action may be needed to contain the spread of the new Covid-19 variant.
A new, more infectious variant of the coronavirus has been spreading throughout London and the southeast, and as a result coronavirus cases in the UK have rocketed in the last week. Yesterday the UK recorded a record 36,804 cases.
It is thought the new variant has already spread across the country, and can also be found internationally.
The UK’s R rate is now 1.1-1.3, according to the latest data.
The new variant has caused chaos in the UK and elsewhere. Travel bans have been imposed on the UK around the world, and France closed the border at Calais, leading to 3,000 lorries parked up in Kent.
Thousands of families have had to change their Christmas plans at the last minute.