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Large areas of England will join London, the South East and the East of England at Level 4, amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and the alarm over a rapidly spreading new strain of coronavirus. The new areas include Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire, the parts of Essex not yet at level 4, Waverley in Surrey, and Hampshire excluding the New Forest. It means another 6 million people will be at the level, bringing the total to 24 million, or 43% of the population.
What does level 4 mean?
Under Level 4 restrictions, non-essential shops, hair salons, and entertainment venues must close, with a new “stay home” message.
People who need to travel for education or childcare are exempt and exercise is unlimited. When people can’t work from home, they can still commute to work.
According to the measures, households cannot mix, but one person can meet another outside in a public space. Support bubbles and babysitting bubbles are exempt.
Those who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable should not go to work and should limit time away from their homes.
Level 4 residents must not spend the night away from home and cannot travel abroad.
What does this mean for Christmas?
Those on level 4 should stay home over Christmas and should not meet with other households. A resident may meet another person for a walk, but not the whole family.
In the rest of England, the window for multi-household gatherings has been shortened from a five-day window between 23-27 to just Christmas Day.
What can I do at each level?
People of all skill levels are advised to stay locally and, if traveling, its restrictions follow. For example, if you live in a level 3 area, you must continue to follow the level 3 rules even when traveling to a level 1 or level 2 area.
You can find out what level you live here.
You can read more about level 3 regulations here, Level 2 regulations here, and Level 1 regulations here.
How long will the measurements last?
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said these restrictions are likely to last for months, until the vaccine has been rolled out across the UK. The measures will be reviewed on December 30, as part of a broader review of the tier restrictions.
