LEVELLING UP

How tiers are changing after lockdown ends

BUSY Richmond Park, London

A BALANCE of factors will decide which tier an area is placed in after December 2.

One of the main measures is the number of confirmed cases per 100,000 of the population.

This is influenced by the number of tests carried out in an area. More testing inevitably means more cases detected.

Latest Public Health England data shows Swale in Kent has the highest rate at 632 cases per 100,000 people for the week to November 18.

Rates in areas of the North West

MEASURES TO FACTOR IN

previously in Tier 3 restrictions have fallen sharply, sparking hopes that they may go into a lower tier after the national lockdown is lifted.

The case rate is the best early warning sign as more Covid-19 cases turn into more hospital stays and deaths around a month later.

These are both key measures being considered by the Joint Biosecurity Centre when deciding on the level of restrictions.

When hospital stays start to spike this is also judged in relation to local hospital capacity and how many beds are available. The R value – how many people on average each patient passes the virus on to – will also be a key factor. This measures how quickly an outbreak is growing.

NHS Test and Trace as well as surveillance testing also attempts to look at the age profiles of those who are testing positive.

Higher rates among over-60s will be another factor in opting whether to put an area in tougher tiers.

And now lockdowns will be imposed on English regions without negotiation with local leaders.