England entered a new tiered lockdown system after the country emerged from a national lockdown in early December.
Tier three restrictions failed to control the coronavirus rates in some of the worst-hit areas, and so the Government introduced a fourth tier.
Initially, London and some parts of the South East were placed in the toughest tier, but areas such as Cambridgeshire and Sussex joined those areas from Boxing Day.
Tier 4 lockdown: What are the new rules?
The new tier four rules are more akin to the restrictions the country faced back in March.
In tier four areas, pubs and restaurants must close, as well as ‘non-essential’ retail.
Residents must not leave or be outside of their home or garden except unless they have a ‘reasonable excuse’ such as food shopping, work (if they cannot work from home), exercise and medical reasons.
In tier four areas, gyms and swimming pools must shut as well as indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas and bowling alleys.
Hairdressers and beauty services are not permitted to operate.
Tier four residents must not stay away overnight from home and are required to work from home if they can.
They must also refrain from leaving tier four areas or travelling abroad, except for limited reasons including work and education.
Weddings, civil partnerships and funerals are allowed with strict limits on attendance – funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people while up to six people can attend wedding ceremonies.
Wedding and civil partnership ceremonies should only take place in ‘exceptional circumstances’ such as if one of the people getting married is seriously ill and not expected to cover.
People are allowed to meet up with one other person from another household outdoors in a public space for exercise or essential purposes but indoor socialising is strictly off-limits.
Places of worship will stay open for ‘communal worship.’
Support bubbles and childcare bubbles are exempt from the rules, and people are allowed outdoors for unlimited exercise.
Breaking the rules carried a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences, up to a maximum of £6,400.
Which areas in England are currently in tier 4?
The following parts of England are currently in tier four
- London: all 32 London boroughs plus City of London
- Berkshire (Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, Wokingham, Windsor and Maidenhead and West Berkshire)
- Buckinghamshire
- Havant, Gosport and Portsmouth
- Kent and Medway
- Surrey (excluding Waverley)
- Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Luton
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Peterborough
- Brighton and Hove
- Cambridgeshire
- East Sussex (all areas)
- Hampshire (Basingstoke and Deane Borough, East Hampshire District, Eastleigh Borough, Fareham Borough, Hart District, Rushmoor Borough, Test Valley Borough, Winchester City Councils)
- Norfolk
- Oxfordshire
- Southampton
- Suffolk
- Waverley Borough
- West Sussex
Use the government’s postcode checker to find out what rules your local area must follow.
New lockdowns are also set to be introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland from today, while restrictions that were eased for Christmas Day in Wales will be re-imposed.
The whole of mainland Scotland has been plunged into level four restrictions with the country following a five-tier system.
The rules are similar to tier four rules in England, carrying a ban on all essential retail and indoor socialising.
In Northern Ireland, the new measures are the toughest yet, with a form of curfew in operation from 8pm, shops closed from that time and all indoor and outdoor gatherings prohibited until 6am.
Non-essential retail will close throughout the next six weeks, as will close-contact services, while hospitality outlets will be limited to takeaway services.
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MORE : Six million more people plunged into tier 4 restrictions on Boxing Day
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/26/tier-4-what-are-the-new-rules-and-which-parts-of-england-must-follow-them-13809463/