Covid: What are the new tiers and lockdown rules in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- Published
A new, tougher fourth tier of coronavirus restrictions for London and much of south-east England has been announced. It starts at 00:01 GMT on Sunday.
The whole of Wales is entering another lockdown from 00:01 on Sunday. And the whole of mainland Scotland will begin a new lockdown from 00:01 GMT on Saturday 26 December.
What are the new rules for Christmas?
The planned relaxation of coronavirus rules at Christmas has been scrapped for tier four areas. People will only be allowed to celebrate Christmas with members of their own household and support bubbles.
Elsewhere in England - across tiers one to three - the plan to allow "Christmas bubbles" from 23 to 27 December is being changed to Christmas Day only.
There will also be a travel ban between England and Scotland throughout the Christmas period.
What are the Covid restrictions in England?
All areas of England have been placed in one of four tiers, depending on factors such as how fast Covid is spreading and pressure on hospitals
People in tiers one to three are advised not to travel into the new tier four areas.
And across all tiers the government has announced that people should now "stay local".
Which parts of south-east England have changed to tier four?
From 00:01 on Sunday 20 December tier four restrictions will apply in all tier three areas across the south and east of England.
In south-east England, the areas affected are:
- Greater London (all 32 boroughs and the City of London)
- Kent
- Buckinghamshire (including Milton Keynes)
- Berkshire
- Surrey (excluding Waverley)
- Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth
- Rother and Hastings
In the east of England, the areas affected are:
- Bedfordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring)
- Peterborough
What are the new restrictions in tier 4?
The restrictions are similar to the last national lockdown in England, in November. They include:
- Residents being asked to stay at home - although those who have to travel for education or work may continue to do so
- Social mixing will be restricted to meeting one other person from outside your household in an open public space
- All non-essential retail will have to close, along with hairdressers, nail bars, indoor entertainment venues and gyms
- Support bubbles remain unaffected, as do the exemptions for separated parents and their children
- No-one in tier four will be allowed to join Christmas Day bubbles in tiers one to three
- People in tier four areas should not travel abroad, except in limited circumstances
The measures will be formally reviewed on 30 December.
- You can't mix indoors, in private gardens or in most outdoor venues, except with your household or bubble
- 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 stay open, as can swimming pools
- Bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants must stay closed, except for delivery and takeaway
- Collective worship can take place with no mixing outside of bubbles
- Small wedding ceremonies can take place, but not receptions.
- Sports fans cannot attend events in stadiums
- Indoor entertainment venues - such as bowling alleys and cinemas - must stay closed
- People are advised not to travel to and from tier three areas
- Christmas Day bubbles cannot include anyone in Tier 4
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
- Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are currently in tier one
- Herefordshire will move to tier one from 00:01 on 19 December
- Christmas Day bubbles cannot include anyone in Tier 4
There are exceptions in all tiers for childcare and support bubbles. More details 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 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 the rules in Wales?
Wales is returning to a new national lockdown from 00:01 on Sunday 20 December.
The Level 4 measures were originally meant to come into force from 28 December but have been brought forward.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said festive bubbles of no more than two households could be formed for Christmas Day only.
Level 4 means that:
- people must stay at home, except for very limited purposes
- people must not visit other households, or meet other people they do not live with (unless they are in a support bubble)
- many types of businesses are required to close
You should also:
- Work from home if you can
- Not travel without reasonable excuse
- Not travel internationally without reasonable excuse
The following must close:
- Venues for events and conferences
- Theatres and concert halls
- Indoor and outdoor visitor attractions
- Entertainment venue
- Wedding reception or wake
- Sport courts, golf courses
- Leisure and fitness facilities
- Outdoor visitor attractions
- Holiday accommodation (open only if essential only, for example for work or other reasons)
- Hospitality (except for takeaway and delivery)
- Close contact services
- Non-essential retail (click and collect allowed)
- Licenced premises. Takeaway and delivery only between 6am and 10pm
- Libraries and archive services (click and collect only)
- Organised activities limited to public and voluntary services
- Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues
What are the new restrictions in Scotland?
The rules in Scotland are being tightened, with no non-essential cross-border travel between Scotland and England allowed throughout the festive period.
Indoor mixing will only be allowed on Christmas Day - a maximum of eight people from three households.
"If you can't make it there and back in the same day, please don't go," First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told reporters. "Our advice is to still not mix with other households on Christmas Day if you can."
From Boxing Day, Level Four measures will be introduced across all of mainland Scotland for a period of three weeks.
How does Scotland's five-level system work?
Each area of Scotland has been placed in one of five levels.
Several areas had been moved into lower restriction tiers recently, but Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and East Lothian will all move from level two to level three on Friday 18 December, with greater restrictions on travel and hospitality.
Level zero (nearly normal) rules
- Indoor meetings allowed with up to eight people from three households
- Up to 15 people from five households can meet outdoors
- No areas have been placed in the lowest tier.
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
Level two (high) rules
Additional restrictions apply:
- No gatherings inside 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 premises are closed except gyms, cinemas, bingo halls and amusement arcades
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
- Gyms uses restricted to individuals and not groups
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 there must also be no non-essential travel between Scotland the rest of the UK.
What are Northern Ireland's rules?
From Boxing Day, a six-week lockdown begins in Northern Ireland.
The first week, until 2 January, will have stricter restrictions, including essential shops closing at 20:00 GMT and no sport.
The new rules include:
- Closure of all non-essential retail, including garden centres and homeware shops
- No click-and-collect services
- Closure of close contact services like hair and beauty salons
- Hospitality businesses open only for takeaway and delivery
- Leisure and entertainment venues close
- Off-licences must close by 20:00
- Car washes will shut
- Hotels can stay open until 28 December for Christmas travellers
- Christmas bubbles for up to three households in Northern Ireland allowed, but ending on 27 December
- Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and funerals limited to 25 people - wedding receptions not allowed
- Churches can remain open, but with measures like compulsory face masks
- Outdoor parks can remain open
- Elite sport allowed behind closed doors from 2 January
Until 26 December, the rules are:
- Households cannot mix indoors in private homes, except for exemptions including bubbles and childcare
- No more than six people from two households can gather in a private garden (children under 12 are exempt)
- A maximum of 15 people can gather outside, unless for an organised, risk-assessed event
- Hotels, libraries, visitor attractions and non-essential shops can open. Gyms can open for individual or one-to-one training
- Restaurants, cafes, and pubs serve food can open and must close by 23:00
- Religious buildings can open and maximum capacity for weddings and funerals is based on building size
- Up to 500 spectators can attend sporting events