Thousands affected as strict new Tier 3 deal is imposed

Hundreds of thousands more people will be placed under the most stringent coronavirus restrictions as a deal to put Nottingham and some surrounding boroughs into Tier 3 was struck with the government.

The tougher rules for Nottingham, Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe council areas will come into force on Thursday, with details of the measures expected to be outlined today.

It comes just hours after it was confirmed Warrington will enter Tier 3 today, with pubs and bars in the Cheshire town having to close unless they serve substantial meals.

Households will be banned from mixing indoors or in private gardens and beer gardens, while betting shops, adult gaming centres, casinos and soft play centres will also close as part of the decision to put the town’s 210,000 people into the highest alert level in England.

Warrington Council will receive a financial support package of £1.68 million to help contact tracing and enforcement, as well as £4.2 min business support from the government.

According to analysis by the PA, in the seven days to October 21 the rate of new cases in Warrington was 377.1 per 100,000 people, with 792 new cases. This was up from 342.8 the previous week when there were 720 new cases.

Nottingham and Warrington will join the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Yorkshire – which saw fresh restrictions imposed over the weekend – in Tier 3.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Infection rates are rising in Warrington and we have agreed with local leaders that it’s time to take action.

“I know that these new measures will mean sacrifices must be made by the people in Warrington and I want to extend my thanks to each and every one of them for recognising the severity of the situation and sticking to the rules.

“We have agreed a support package designed to help businesses while boosting efforts to control the virus locally and will not hesitate to take similar action in any area of the country if infection rates continue to rise.

“Please remember – now is the time for us all to work together to get this virus under control.”

In an interview yesterday, Mr Hancock said areas under Tier 3 restrictions would have to prove their infection rate was “coming down”, especially among those aged 60 or over, before they could be removed from the strictest measures.

He has also refused to rule out bringing in a tougher set of Tier 4 impositions following reports another level is being considered to tackle England’s rise in infections.

Asked about the criteria for an area to exit Tier 3, Mr Hancock told BBC Radio4’ s Today programme: “The first thing that’s most important is that the case rate has to be coming down. And, in particular, we look at the number of cases among the over-60s because that’s the number that is likely to translate into hospital admissions and, sadly, into deaths.”

Mr Hancock also suggested a vaccine would not provide an escape route from the social restrictions until next year.

He told Today it was his “central expectation” that the mass roll- out of any vaccine would be “in the first half of next year”.

NHS England confirmed yesterday a further 91 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 31,910.

The patients were aged between 44 and 95 and all had known underlying health conditions, with the majority passing on or after October 23.

RESTRICTIONS: Health Secretary Matt Hancock during a Covid-19 debate in the House of Commons.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds up a roll filled with sausage during a visit to Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, to mark the publication of a new review into hospital food.