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COVID-19: How Tier 4 has wrecked Christmas plans for families

Kirsty Knight - living in Tier 4 - says the new rules mean she cannot now spend Christmas with her dad, 83, who will be alone.

The Knight family had hoped to deliver their presents in person
Image: The Knight family had hoped to deliver their presents in person
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There are presents stashed under the Knight family's Christmas tree that won't now arrive in time, as it is too late to post them.

They had hoped to deliver them personally, but were shocked to find out their home city of Peterborough was entering England's Tier 4 coronavirus rules, especially as it had only had a day in Tier 3.

Mum Kirsty is most disappointed about not seeing her dad, explaining: "Sadly we lost my mum last year, Christmas Eve, so it's a bad year anyway, and he's going to be spending Christmas on his own."

Kirsty says she is most upset about not being able to see her dad
Image: Kirsty says she is most upset about not being able to see her dad (below)
Kirsty says her dad will have to spend Christmas alone now

"I feel upset, I spoke to him last night and he just said 'it is what it is'," she continued.

"I've got my sister who lives in Wales, she can't come. I've got my sister who's working in the COVID ward in hospital, so she's in isolation - then I've got brothers and sisters who live in America, he's on his own".

In the playground outside her house, Kirsty's daughter Sophia says she is most sad about not seeing her cousins and grandpa this year.

A few miles away in the city centre, the view from the top of Peterborough Cathedral stretches for miles around.

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The verger points out some fields in the distance that are in Tier 2.

The city is like a Tier 4 island surrounded by areas in lower tiers, but only in this tier are you advised not to leave your home on Christmas Day.

The Knight family live in Peterborough, now in Tier 4
Image: The Knight family live in Peterborough, now in Tier 4

"COVID has caused the cathedral, for the first time in its history, to have to cancel morning prayer and evening prayer during the first lockdown," said verger David Wood.

"It's never happened. It's a statute that we have to have morning and evening prayer within the building, but we weren't allowed to. So really it will go down in history as being one of the most devastating issues that we've had to deal with in the 900 years the cathedral has been here."

The problem here, like in other Tier 4 areas, is that the infection rate has risen significantly.

In the week to 14 December, there were 650 cases - a 46% increase on the week before, and hospital admissions are rising.

The Knight family were shocked when their home city of Peterborough was placed into Tier 4. This is what it means for their plans.
Image: Kirsty's children say they are sad they cannot now see their cousins

In the peaceful grounds around the cathedral, the Fewtrell family is cycling though.

Mum Jackie tells me that she, her husband Andy and daughters Suzanne, Fiona and Katelyn, will be abiding by the new rules and not mixing households this Christmas.

Jackie Fewtrell says she and her family will be sticking to the rules
Image: Jackie Fewtrell says she and her family will be sticking to the rules

"Katelyn's best friend has had it (COVID), Suzanne's classmate has had it," she said.

"I have work colleagues who had it, or have it now.

"It was just getting too close and we felt like it was irresponsible even if we felt we were healthy and our bubble was healthy, it was just going to be irresponsible to get together with them considering the wider picture of the NHS and our community."