Unic Press UK: Tier 4 local restriction comes into force in London and much of south-east England at 00:01 GMT on Sunday.
Remember, ‘Hands. Face. Space’:
- hands – wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
- face – wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet
- space – stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings)
When meeting people you do not live with, it is important to do so outdoors where possible, or to make sure that any indoor venue has good ventilation (for example by opening windows so that fresh air can enter).
One in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and will be spreading it without realising it.
Why the government is introducing tiers
The Government is committed to ensuring the right levels of intervention in the right places to manage outbreaks, suppress the virus and keep R below 1.
There are 4 tiers for local restrictions:
- Tier 1: Medium alert
- Tier 2: High alert
- Tier 3: Very High alert
- Tier 4: Stay at Home
What tiers mean
The guidance sets out what you can and cannot do in each tier.
There is separate guidance for households with a possible or confirmed coronavirus infection and additional advice at each tier will be provided shortly for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus.
There is also separate guidance for support and childcare bubbles, which apply across all tiers.
Support bubbles have been expanded. From 2 December you can form a support bubble with another household if any of the following apply to you:
- you are the only adult in your household (any other members of the household having been under 18 on 12 June 2020) or are the only adult who does not have a disability that needs continuous care
- you have a child under 1
- you live with a child under 5 with a disability that needs continuous care
If you do not live in a Tier 4 area, you may see a maximum of two other households (your ‘Christmas bubble’) on Christmas Day (25 December). You cannot see anyone from a Tier 4 area. If you live in a Tier 4 area, there will be no relaxation of the restrictions for Christmas.
Find out what measures apply in your tier The best way to check what tier applies in your area is through the Postcode Checker. You can also use the NHS COVID-19 app. However, if you live in London or the South-East, you should use the postcode checker, as the app may not show your latest tier.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know