UK areas move into higher risk virus tiers

LONDON: London will be placed into the second highest risk category when a national lockdown ends on Dec. 2, according to a government website which allows residents to check the rules which will apply to them.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that nationwide restrictions in England will end ater a month long lockdown, to be replaced by a system of regional restrictions to try to stop the virus spreading from the worst-hit areas.

The decision has been keenly anticipated by businesses all across the country whose ability to trade in the pre-christmas period will be affected. Hospitality is one of the large sectors which will suffer the most in higher tiers.

A postcode checker was briefly available on Thursday on a government website before the official announcement due to be made by health minister Mat Hancock in parliament.

That showed the capital would be in tier 2, described as ‘high alert’.

London was previously in tier 2 before the national lockdown was imposed, although a tighter set of rules for each tier was announced earlier this week.

For London, this means no mixing of households indoors and a maximum of six can meet people outdoors, hospitality venues can only offer alcohol alongside a substantial meal, and tightly restricted atendance of sporting events.

Large swathes of the country including the northern city of Manchester were placed into the tier 3, the highest tier, which is for areas with a very high or very rapidly rising level of infections. In tier 3 hospitality venues must remain closed. The government said allocations will be made using a decision-making process based on recommendations to ministers from regional and national public health experts.

Tier 3 means bars, cafes and restaurants must remain shut except for takeaway services, and that households cannot mix except in public places outdoors.

Tier 3 areas will be offered support from National Health Service Test and Trace and the armed forces to deliver a six-week rapid community testing programme, utilising lateral flow COVID-19 tests, which give results within an hour.

“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,” Hancock said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has lobbied for London to be in tier 2, warning tier 3 would be “catastrophic” for the capital’s hospitality industry.

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said it was more likely than not that Greater Manchester would be returned to tier 3.