Matt Hancock has addressed MPs at the House Of Commons today, plunging over half of England’s population into Tier 4 restrictions.
On the list is Greater Manchester, who will face the tougher restrictions from tonight.
Tier 4 is currently the tier with the toughest restrictions, and will see all non-essential retail forced to close form 00:01 am on New Year’s Eve.
The tier changes see Warrington, the North East, Lancashire, Cheshire, Birmingham, Leicestershire, Nottingham and Lincolnshire join Greater Manchester in moving up to Tier 4.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Unfortunately, this new variant is now spreading across most of England and cases are doubling fast.
“It is, therefore, necessary to apply Tier 4 measures to a wider area, including parts of the South East, large parts of the Midlands, the North-West, the North East and the South-West.”
The Tier 4 rules for Manchester are:
- You must stay at home and you must only leave for essential purposes.
This includes; work (if it cannot be done from home), shopping for essential items, such as attending education or training, to use childcare, to exercise outdoors or for medical reasons.
- Non-essential retail must close, this includes; clothing stores and homeware stores, betting shops, tailors, vape shops, electric goods and all mobile phone shops.
“Essential” retailers remaining open include; supermarkets, pharmacies and healthcare, garden centres, off-licence shops and markets with essential items.
- You should remain in your Tier 4 area unless essentially travelling for; work, education, any caring responsibilities you have, to see your established support bubble, or for medical reasons.
- You cannot meet other people indoors unless you are part of the same household or part of an established support bubble.
Outdoors, you must only meet one person from a different house in an outdoor public place.
What do you think of the Tier 4 restrictions implemented on Greater Manchester? Do you think it was needed or unnecessary? Let us know @PieRadioUK
