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MORE THAN 55 million people face stricter coronavirus restrictions in England after December 2, as Boris Johnson warned that any relief could lead to another national lockdown in the new year.
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which account for just over 1% of England’s population, face the lightest Tier 1 restrictions.
Large swaths of the Midlands, the Northeast and Northwest are at the more restrictive Tier 3, but most people, including London, will be at Tier 2.
Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street, Johnson said: “I regret to confirm that as of Wednesday most of England will be in the first two tiers, with the toughest measures.
And I know this will bring a lot of pain and frustration, especially for our vital hospitality industry.
“If we relax now, we risk losing control over this virus again, setting aside our hard-earned gains and forcing us to return to a national New Years lockdown with all the damage that would mean,” he said.
Some 23.3 million people, 41.5% of the population of England, will be at level 3, while 32 million people, 57.3%, will be at the second level.
In Tier 1, the rule of six applies both indoors and outdoors, people are encouraged to work from home if they can, and pubs are limited to table service.
In Level 2, the restrictions include a ban on households mixing indoors, while pubs and restaurants will only be able to sell alcohol with a “substantial meal.”
Level 3 The measures involve a ban on homes from mixing except in limited circumstances, such as in parks.
Bars and restaurants will be limited to takeout or home delivery services and people will be advised to avoid traveling outside of their area.
In all areas, stores and schools will remain open.
The British Prime Minister acknowledged that pubs, restaurants and hotels – “the lifeblood of our communities” – were bearing a “disproportionate share” of the burden of controlling the virus to ensure that children could safely attend school.
“If we are going to keep schools open, as we must, then our options for fighting the disease are necessarily limited,” Johnson said.
But he said advances in vaccine and testing technologies could offer hope once the country goes through a “harsh winter.”
‘Hold the line’
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, cautioned that while Level 2 restrictions would be sufficient to “hold the line,” they could not reliably reduce the number of cases.
Areas located on Level 3 as of December 2 include:
– In the northeast: Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, Darlington, Sunderland, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside and County Durham.
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– In the North West: Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen.
– In Yorkshire and The Humber: The Humber, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire.
Level assignments will be reviewed on December 16, with weekly reviews thereafter.
Currently, case rates are increasing in only eight of the 119 areas to enter Level 3.
Seven of the eight are in the south-east of England: Dover, Folkestone & Hythe, Gravesham, Maidstone, Medway, Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells. The other is Hyndburn in the North West of England.
MPs will vote on the new system on December 1, the day before the levels go into effect, and Johnson faces a revolt in conservative banks over the measures.
The British government has promised to publish an impact assessment of the measures before MPs vote on them following protests that the economic damage and health impacts of the restrictions are not being adequately considered.
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