London, Essex, Hertforshire moving to Tier-3

London, Hertfordshire, and Essex moving to tier-3 -England’s highest tier of coronavirus restrictions will come into place from Wednesday  00:01Hrs MPs have been told by Health secretary Matt Hancock.

A new variant of coronavirus identified, and it may be associated with a faster spread in the south of England, Matt Hancock, UK Health Secretary. 

These tier-3 restrictions on the capital could have a catastrophic impact on the economy with restaurants, pubs, wine bars forced to close except for takeaway services over the busy  Christmas period, following a surge in new coronavirus cases in all 32 boroughs.  Under tier-3 restrictions, people are banned from meeting anyone outside their household or bubble indoors, in private gardens or outdoor venues, although they can still meet people outside their household or bubble in spaces such as at parks, or the beach. Shops and gyms and personal care services are also allowed to stay open. Downing Street rejected Sadiq Khan London Mayor’s suggestion that the school could be closed early for Christmas and reopen later in January to control the spread of the virus, with online lessons to replace missed classes.

According to the latest figures, the borough of Havering has the highest coronavirus rate in London with 1, 314 new cases recorded in the seven days to December 9 – equivalent to 506.3 cases per 100, 000 people, up from a rate of 321.3 in the previous seven days to December 2.