All Sussex Is Going Into Tier 4

Wednesday, 23 December 2020 15:12

By John Warburton @Warblefly

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced all Sussex, together with many other areas, must obey the most severe restrictions, from one minute past midnight on Boxing Day, December 26th.

The announcement was made in today's 3pm briefing from Downing Street.

Mr. Hancock has also repeated the government's plea to reduce all social contact as much as possible.

Other areas to which Tier 4 will apply include Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, parts of Essex currently not covered and Waverley in Surrey.

Hampshire, with the exception of the New Forest, will also be moved into Tier 4.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the creation of Tier 4 on Saturday - the toughest level of regional restrictions intended to clamp down on COVID-19 hotspots.

It came after a new coronavirus variant was credited with pushing infection numbers to record high levels.

Questions remain over whether Tier 4 will be enough to stop the growth of COVID-19.

Prof Neil Ferguson, a government adviser whose modelling contributed to the first national lockdown, said while schools were closed he had:

"...more confidence" the R number - the average number of people someone with coronavirus passes it on to - could come back under 1.

"But we will see really what will happen in the next two weeks.

"If we - hopefully as we will do - see a significant decline in the case numbers both of the variant and non-variant it will offer us greater confidence going into the new year that maybe Tier 4 might be sufficient.

"If we don't, of course we're in a more difficult situation."

In summary, Tier 4 restrictions, applying to all Sussex from 00:01 from Boxing Day, December 26, are:

Stay at home - this will be put into law so fines will apply if you do not have a relevant excuse
Exemptions include people needing to travel for education, childcare and exercise
Unlimited exercise allowed outdoors
Do not enter Tier 4 areas from other areas and do not leave Tier 4
Tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home
Work from home if you can
Gyms closed
Non-essential retail closed
Indoor leisure closed
Indoor entertainment closed
Personal care sector closed
Communal worship can take place
One person can meet just one other person from another household outside - exemptions for support and childcare bubbles
Do not travel abroad apart from if needed for work