Covid: What are the new tiers and lockdown rules in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- Published
Wales is changing rules around the sale of alcohol and travel to and from the rest of the UK.
England has a three-tier system of restrictions, Northern Ireland is in a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown, and Scotland has its own five-tier system.
Across the UK, some restrictions will be relaxed over Christmas, to allow three households to form a "Christmas bubble".
What are the rules in Wales?
People who you don't live with still cannot come into your home socially, unless you are in an extended household (bubble) with them. Tradespeople can enter your home to carry out work.
What are England's new lockdown rules?
All areas have been placed in one of three tiers: medium, high and very high.
About 99% of England has been placed into the high and very high coronavirus risk category - tiers two and three.
The placing of areas in each tier will be reviewed every 14 days, with the first review due by 16 December.
Areas in tier two
- North West: Cumbria; Liverpool City Region; Warrington and Cheshire
- Yorkshire: York; North Yorkshire
- West Midlands: Worcestershire; Herefordshire; Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin
- East Midlands: Rutland; Northamptonshire
- East of England: Suffolk; Hertfordshire; Cambridgeshire (including Peterborough); Norfolk; Essex; Thurrock and Southend on Sea; Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes
- London: All 32 boroughs plus the City of London
- South East: East Sussex; West Sussex; Brighton and Hove; Surrey; Reading; Wokingham; Bracknell Forest; Windsor and Maidenhead; West Berkshire; Hampshire (except the Isle of Wight), Portsmouth and Southampton; Buckinghamshire; Oxfordshire
- South West: South Somerset, Somerset West and Taunton, Mendip and Sedgemoor; Bath and North East Somerset; Dorset; Bournemouth; Christchurch; Poole; Gloucestershire; Wiltshire and Swindon; Devon
Tier two (high) rules
Areas in tier three
- North East: Tees Valley Combined Authority (Hartlepool; Middlesbrough; Stockton-on-Tees; Redcar and Cleveland; Darlington); North East Combined Authority (Sunderland; South Tyneside; Gateshead; Newcastle upon Tyne; North Tyneside; County Durham; Northumberland)
- North West: Greater Manchester; Lancashire; Blackpool; Blackburn with Darwen
- Yorkshire and The Humber: The Humber; West Yorkshire; South Yorkshire
- West Midlands: Birmingham and Black Country; Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent; Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull
- East Midlands: Derby and Derbyshire; Nottingham and Nottinghamshire; Leicester and Leicestershire; Lincolnshire
- South East: Slough (remainder of Berkshire is tier 2: High alert); Kent and Medway
- South West: Bristol; South Gloucestershire; North Somerset
Tier three (very high) rules
Additional restrictions apply:
- You can't mix with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble, indoors, or in private gardens and pub gardens
- You can meet in a group of up to six in other outdoor spaces, such as parks, beaches or countryside
- Shops, gyms and personal care services (such as hairdressing) can reopen (if Covid-secure)
- Hospitality venues - such as bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants must stay closed, except for delivery and takeaway services
- Spectator sports cannot resume
- Indoor entertainment venues - such as bowling alleys and cinemas - must stay closed
- People are advised not to travel to and from tier three areas
Areas in tier one
Only three areas have been placed in the lowest tier:
- South East: Isle of Wight
- South West: Cornwall; Isles of Scilly
Tier one (medium) rules
Areas in the lowest tier will have some restrictions relaxed:
- The rule of six will apply indoors and outdoors
- Spectator sports can resume with a crowd of 50% of capacity, or 4,000 spectators, whichever is smaller
There are exceptions in all tiers for childcare and support bubbles. More details of the plan are here.
How were the tiers decided?
Under the current tier restrictions, about 55 million people are banned from mixing with other households indoors. The decision about which tier to place an area in is based on:
- Total number of Covid cases in an area
- The number of cases in the over-60s
- The rate at which cases are rising or falling
- The proportion of test results coming back positive
- Pressure on the NHS
What are Northern Ireland's current rules?
Northern Ireland started a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown from 00:01 GMT on Friday 27 November.
- Households cannot mix indoors in private homes, except for exemptions including bubbles and childcare
- You can form a support bubble of any size with one other household
- You can't stay overnight in someone else's home, unless you bubble with them
- Non-essential shops must close
- Cafes, coffee shops, pubs, bars and restaurants are shut, except for takeaways and deliveries, which must stop by 23:00
- All sports and leisure facilities must close
- All places of worship must close except for weddings and funerals (limited to 25 people), or to broadcast an act of worship
- Schools remain open
How does Scotland's five-tier system work?
Each area of Scotland has been placed in one of five tiers.
Eleven local authority areas in west and central Scotland have recently moved from level three to level four, affecting two million people.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs the level four measures would be lifted at 18:00 GMT on Friday 11 December.
Areas in level zero
No areas have been placed in the lowest tier.
Level zero (nearly normal) rules
- Indoor meetings are allowed with up to eight people from three households
- Up to 15 people from five households can meet outdoors
Areas in level one
- Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles
Level one (medium) rules
Additional restrictions apply:
- In Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, up to six people from two households can meet inside their homes. This is not allowed in Highlands or Moray.
- People in all areas can meet up to seven other people outdoors, from a maximum of three households
Areas in level two
- Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian
Level two (high) rules
Additional restrictions apply:
- No gatherings inside people's homes
- Up to six people from two households can meet outdoors or at a pub or restaurant
- Most hospitality venues can open
- Alcohol can be served indoors with a meal until 20:00 and outdoors until 22:30
- Most leisure and entertainment premises are closed except gyms, cinemas, bingo halls and amusement arcades
Areas in level three
- Inverclyde, Angus, Perth & Kinross, Fife, North Ayrshire, City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Dundee, Midlothian
Level three (very high) rules
Additional restrictions apply:
- Pubs and restaurants can open until 18:00, but alcohol cannot be served
- Leisure and entertainment venues are closed
- Non-essential travel in or out of the area not allowed
- Indoor exercise, including gyms, restricted to individuals and not groups
Areas in level four
- Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, Stirling, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, West Lothian
Level four (lockdown) rules
Additional restrictions apply:
- Non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants, and gyms close
- Libraries and hairdressers also close
Schools stay open in all levels, and here must also be no non-essential travel between Scotland the rest of the UK.
Do you meet other people for exercise? Have you been out walking during the November lockdown? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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