London And Liverpool In Tier 2 While Manchester And Birmingham Make Tier 3

London and Liverpool will be entering tier 2 under England’s new lockdown system, with various cities including Birmingham and Manchester set to enter tier 3.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock has delivered a statement in the House of Commons in regards to the new lockdown tiers.

The government has now also launched a postcode checker where people can check which tier their area will fall under.

Those in Tier 1 areas – Cornwall, the Scilly Isles and the Isle of Wight – will have to follow the rule of six when they are meeting indoors and outdoors, with pubs and restaurants set to close at 11pm.

People in these areas will be encouraged to reduce their travel, and are urged to work from home if they can. Limited numbers of spectators at sporting events and live performances will be permitted.

The majority of areas will be placed in tier 2. Within these areas, there should be no household mixing indoors, with residents adhering to the rules of six when they are outdoors. Pubs and restaurants will shut at 11pm, and alcohol may only be served as part of a substantial meal.

Other cities entering tier 3 include Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Leeds, Hull, City of Wolverhampton, Blackpool,
and Kent. Households in these areas will be prohibited from mixing either indoors or outdoors in hospitality venues and private gardens, and the role of six will apply in outdoor public spaces.

Pubs and restaurants will be closed except for delivery and takeaways, and indoor entertainment venues will be closed. However personal care services such as hairdressing will still be permitted. There will also be guidance in regards to travelling in and out of such areas.

Those living in tier 3 areas will be eligible for faster or ‘lateral flow’ tests, receiving results in just 20 minutes without any need for a lab. They will also be offered support via NHS Test and Trace and the armed forces, who will implement a six-week rapid community testing programme.

Tiers are decided based upon public health recommendations informed by factors such as case detection rate, the speed at which case rates are rising or falling, pressure on the NHS, and local context.

Hancock has encouraged people to adhere to these rules so that ‘together we can get out of these tough measures’, and said:

I know for those of you faced with tier three 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.

This new tier system will come into effect after the national lockdown ends next week.