BITTER TIERS
Boris Johnson tells of ‘bitter regret’ as he plunges further 20 million Brits into Tier 4
PM Boris Johnson told of his “bitter regret” last night as he plunged another 20 million Brits into Tier 4 lockdown.
He said the tough move was vital to save lives after scientists announced 981 more daily Covid deaths and 50,023 cases.
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A total of 44 million people, or 78 per cent of England, fell under the strictest limits as the clock struck midnight last night.
The clampdown came as hotspot hospitals were forced to treat patients in the back of ambulances as wards became swamped.
Essex declared a major incident and begged the Army for help.
The new super-spreading strain now accounts for 60 per cent of infections and Mr Johnson said he had to act despite the Oxford vaccine being approved yesterday.
He also urged Brits to skip New Year’s Eve parties tonight.
Speaking at No10 he said: “We have two big things happening at once in our fight against Covid — one working for us, one against.
“On the plus side we have two valid vaccines, and we’re racing to get them out. And on the bad side there is a new strain of the virus which is spreading much faster.
“At this critical moment, with the prospect of freedom within reach, we’ve got to redouble our efforts to contain the virus.
“No one regrets these measures more bitterly than I do, but we must take firm action now.”
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NEW YEAR, NEW TIER: Areas across England moving to tougher Tiers
To move into Tier 4:
- Leicester City
- Leicestershire (Oadby and Wigston, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Blaby, Charnwood, North West Leicestershire, Melton)
- Lincolnshire (City of Lincoln, Boston, South Kesteven, West Lindsey, North Kesteven, South Holland, East Lindsey)
- Northamptonshire (Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton, South Northamptonshire, Wellingborough)
- Derby and Derbyshire (Derby, Amber Valley, South Derbyshire, Bolsover, North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield, Erewash, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak)
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (Gedling, Ashfield, Mansfield, Rushcliffe, Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood, Nottinghamshire, Broxtowe)
- Birmingham and Black Country (Dudley, Birmingham, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton)
- Coventry
- Solihull
- Warwickshire (Rugby, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Warwick, North Warwickshire, Stratford-upon-Avon)
- Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (East Staffordshire, Stafford, South Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Staffordshire Moorlands, Newcastle under Lyme, Tamworth, Stoke-on-Trent)
- Lancashire (Burnley, Pendle, Blackburn with Darwen, Ribble Valley, Blackpool, Preston, Hyndburn, Chorley, Fylde, Lancaster, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire, Wyre)
- Cheshire and Warrington (Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington)
- Cumbria (Eden, Carlisle, South Lakeland, Barrow-in-Furness, Copeland, Allerdale)
- Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan)
- Tees Valley (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees )
- North East (County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, Sunderland)
- Gloucestershire (Gloucester, Forest of Dean, Cotswolds, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Cheltenham)
- Somerset Council (Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton, South Somerset)
- Swindon
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Isle of Wight
- New Forest
The following local authority areas will move to Tier 3:
- Rutland
- Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin
- Worcestershire (Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Redditch, Worcester, Wychavon, Wyre Forest)
- Herefordshire
- Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens)
- York & North Yorkshire (Scarborough, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Selby, Craven, Ryedale, Harrogate, City of York)
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Devon, Plymouth, Torbay (East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge, West Devon, Plymouth, Torbay)
- Cornwall
- Dorset
- Wiltshire
The Midlands, North East, parts of the North West and South West are among those now in Tier 4.
The Isle of Wight jumped to the strictest limits from Tier 1.
The PM said he considered an England-wide lockdown but decided to keep tiers for now.
Mr Johnson hoped all lockdowns could be scrapped by spring thanks to the vaccines roll-out.
But he warned there “may be things we want to carry on with” forever such as frequent hand washing and wearing a mask if ill.
The latest daily deaths toll — the highest since April — was due in part to a lag in reporting over Christmas.
But last night Buckinghamshire declared a major incident, saying cases could rise close to 800 people per 100,000 by next week.
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How rules differ between Tier 3 and 4
- In Tier 4, you must stay at home and should only leave to travel for education, childcare or exercise. You can only meet one other person outdoors.
- Brits in Tier 3 can leave the house as they choose, provided they follow social distancing guidelines. Households are banned from mixing indoors, but you can meet up to six people in public outdoor spaces such as parks. - All shops, including non-essential retail such as toys, clothing and homeware, remain open in Tier 3 areas but are shut in Tier 4.
- Hairdressers, barbers, beauty salons and all entertainment venues are open in Tier 3, providing they operate under Covid safety guidelines.
- Gyms are open in Tier 3, but only for individual exercise with classes halted. They must remain shut in Tier 4.
- Pubs, bars and restaurants remain closed in both tiers but can offer delivery or take-out options.
- In Tier 4, travel for some reasons - including education, childcare or an emergency - will be allowed.- People in Tier 4 and Tier 3 can still go to work - but only as a last resort if they cannot work from home.
NHS England boss Stephen Powis warned hospitals across the country were getting battered by soaring numbers of patients with the killer bug.
He urged: “We can all play a part in fighting this terrible virus.
“Covid loves a crowd so please leave the parties for later in the year.”
Echoing him, the PM said: “Please let’s celebrate sensibly so not to spread the disease.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam warned that the UK is facing a “pretty grim and depressing picture at the moment” and will only get worse.
He said: “It is almost certainly true that the NHS has not yet seen the impact of the infections that will have occurred during mixing on Christmas Day and that is also unfortunately rather sobering.”
Under Tier 4 all but essential shops must close with pubs and restaurants shut except for takeaways.
Hairdressers and gyms must close their doors.
People must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse, and they can meet outdoor with only one other person who is outside their bubble.
Critics hit out at the latest move.
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Bob Blackman, Tory MP for Harrow East in North West London, warned:
“The way it’s going, the whole country will be in Tier 4 by the end of January.”
And Craig Beaumont, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “This is fast becoming a national lockdown in all but name.
“Small businesses right across the economy need a step-up in support, and we have pitched in a plan to the Chancellor.
“This would be a bridge to when the vaccines help to unlock our economy once again.
"The Government should throw everything it’s got to help small businesses to make it through to then and drive the recovery”.
All the areas already in Tier 4
A list of the areas in Tier 4 at present are:
- Kent
- Buckinghamshire
- Berkshire
- Surrey (excluding Waverley)
- The boroughs of Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings
- All 32 London boroughs and the city of London.
- Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough
- Hertfordshire
- Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).
A full list of the areas that joined Tier 4 on Boxing Day are:
- Sussex
- Oxfordshire
- Norfolk
- Cambridgeshire
- Those parts of Essex not yet in Tier 4
- Waverley
- Hampshire
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Greg Mulholland, of the Campaign for Pubs said: “Publicans accept the need to tackle Covid.
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“But ordering hospitality to close and cancelling New Year’s Eve with less than nine hours’ notice — having allowed pubs and restaurants to buy stock — is disgraceful.
“It’s deeply damaging to the mental health of tens of thousands of people whose livelihoods are dependent on pubs and hospitality.”
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