TIER 3 FOR NORTH EAST
Region to face toughest restrictions when the lockdown ends next week Warning that decision will force closure of pubs and restaurants What you can and can’t do under the new regime
THE North East will go into Tier 3 restrictions when England emerges from the latest lockdown next week.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday announced that the whole of the region, from Northumberland to Durham, will have to endure the toughest restrictions for at least two weeks.
The five Tees Valley authorities – Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, Hartlepool and Redcar & Cleveland – will also enter Tier 3.
Only Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight will go into Tier 1.
The Tier 3 rules mean that pubs, restaurants, and bars will have to remain shut and that spectators will not be allowed back into football stadiums or to other large events.
Prior to the lockdown, the North East was in the less restrictive Tier 2, but then experienced a spike in cases that was blamed on people flocking to pubs and shops before they were forced to close in early November.
And while the region’s Covid infection rates are “dropping rapidly”, that fall has come too late to avoid Tier 3.
Seven council leaders, the North of Tyne mayor and the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) thanked residents for their sacrifices and urged people to “take responsibility and do our bit for one another” in the run-up to Christmas.
Council leaders Nick Forbes, Martin Gannon, Glen Sanderson, Norma Redfearn, Tracey Dixon, Simon Henig, and Graeme Miller, plus mayor Jamie Driscoll and PCC Kim McGuinness issued a statement saying: “After an incredibly challenging period of national lockdown, our region now finds itself in the ‘very high’ Tier 3.
“These restrictions are designed to protect the most vulnerable among us, drive down infection rates, and allow
us to move into a less strict set of measures.
“That is not to say these last four weeks have counted for nothing. Before lockdown, compliance with the measures in place for our region saw infections level off and once again residents across the length and breadth of Northumberland, Tyneside, Wearside and County Durham have united with great effect.
“Infection rates have dropped rapidly in recent days as the impact of lockdown takes effect and we are extremely grateful to all residents for making this happen.
“Your efforts have sustained capacity in critical care units, ensured treatments for many serious illnesses can continue, and, critically, those who have become gravely ill with Covid have been able to receive the best possible care. You have saved lives and protected the most vulnerable .
“However, infection rates do remain high and ahead of many other parts of the country. That means as we head into the
depths of winter, a time in which the NHS is typically under the greatest strain, we must continue to do what we can to protect each other and make sure our hospitals can cope.
“That means we must avoid mixing with other households indoors; outdoor gatherings must be limited to six socially distanced individuals; hospitality settings must remain closed except for takeaway and delivery services; and indoor leisure and entertainment venues must remain closed.
“We must continue to work together and by doing so we will put ourselves in a position to move to a tier which offers more of the freedoms we so dearly miss. Let’s keep going so we can once again meet up and socialise with our families and friends, help more of our local businesses reopen their doors to or so that we can cheer on our beloved sports teams.
“As a region we will continue to fight for the support required for those residents and businesses that have already suffered so much.”