Almost all Tier 3 areas will remain at their current level of restrictions – but a wider area of east and southeast England will move up to the most severe measures, Matt Hancock has said.
From Saturday, the following areas will be moved up into Tier 3:
- Bedford
- Central Bedfordshire
- Luton
- Milton Keynes
- Buckinghamshire
- Reading
- Wokingham
- Bracknell Forest
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- West Berkshire
- Peterborough
- The rest of Hertfordshire not already in Tier 3 (Dacorum, East Hertfordshire, North Hertfordshire, St Albans, Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield)
- Surrey (except Waverley)
- Hastings and Rother
- Portsmouth
- Havant
- Gosport
However, the health secretary did say that Bristol and North Somerset will move down from Tier 3 to Tier 2.
Herefordshire will move from Tier 2 to Tier 1.
It was announced on Monday that London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire would move into Tier 3, with change taking effect on Wednesday.
The first review of the strengthened tiered system of coronavirus restrictions comes ahead of a relaxation of the rules over Christmas.
From 23 to 27 December, people across the UK will be able to mix in private homes with those in their “Christmas bubble”, while travel restrictions will also be lifted.
However, there has been a decided shift from the UK government and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland since the initial announcement that the restrictions will be eased over the festive period.
With the infection rate rising and fears relaxing the rules will lead to a third wave of the virus, Boris Johnson has warned that “a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas”.
While the four nations of the UK have agreed not to reverse the easing of restrictions, they have advised people to consider altering their plans.
Addressing a Downing Street news conference on Wednesday, the prime minister urged the public to see festive bubbles of up to three households as “maximums” rather than “targets to aim for”.
The Welsh government has announced it would be putting its new guidance on limiting Christmas gatherings to just two households into legislation.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has recommended that those people forming a Christmas bubble should only meet up on one day and not stay overnight “unless it is unavoidable”.
In Northern Ireland, First Minister Arlene Foster said the public must take “all and every precaution” at Christmas and that proposals for further restrictions would be brought forward on Thursday.
