The new rules for the three different tiers under government’s ‘Covid Winter Plan’

The Prime Minister has announced the lockdown will not be extended past December 2nd, but England will go into a tier system stricter than the last one.

Yesterday, Boris Johnson laid out his ‘Covid-19 Winter Plan’ with England entering a tougher three-tier system. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have their own rules but will work together to agree on a plan for Christmas. 

From December 2nd, when the national lockdown ends, England will be placed into a three-tier system with Boris warning ‘more regions will fall at least temporarily into higher levels than before’.

The system will be in place until March.

The new rules across all tiers include:

• Uniform set of rules, there will be no negotiations by different regions
• Everyone should work from home if they can
• Shops and personal care services can open
• Early years settings, schools, colleges and universities remain open
• Registered childcare, other supervised activities for children and childcare bubbles allowed
• Indoor leisure – gyms and swimming – can open
• Elite sport, under-18 sport and disabled sport can continue
• Police will get new powers to close down premises breaking the rules

Tier 1:

• Households can mix inside and outside, but the rule of six applies
• Bars, pubs and restaurants must be table service only, last orders at 10pm, closing by 11pm
• Entertainment can reopen
• Avoid travel into Tier 3 areas
• Overnight stays permitted with your household/bubble, or up to six people from different households
• All accommodation can reopen
• Places of worship can reopen but more than six people from different households cannot interact
• Weddings, civil partnerships and wakes can have 15 guests
• Funerals can have 30 guests
• Exercise classes and organised adult sport can take place outdoors, but rule of six indoors
• Elite sporting events, live performances and large business events can take place with 50% capacity, or 4,000 people outdoors/1,000 indoors (whichever is lower) – social distancing applies

Tier 2:

• No mixing of households indoors apart from support bubbles – rule of six outdoors
• Pubs and bars must close unless operating as restaurants, and hospitality venues can only serve alcohol with substantial meals
• Last orders at 10pm, close by 11pm
• Reduce the numbers of journeys made and avoid travel into Tier 3 areas
• Overnight stays permitted with your household or support bubble
• Accommodation open
• Places of worship open but people cannot interact with anyone outside their household or support bubble
• Weddings, civil partnerships and wakes can have 15 guests
• Funerals can have 30 guests
• Exercise classes and organised adult sport can take place outdoors, but not indoors if there is any interaction between different households
• Elite sporting events, live performances and large business events can take place with 50% capacity, or 2,000 people outdoors/1,000 indoors (whichever is lower) – social distancing applies

Tier 3:

• No mixing of households indoors or most outdoor places – rule of six in outdoor spaces such as parks and sports courts
• Hospitality venues closed, except for takeaway, drive-through or delivery
• Indoor entertainment venues closed
• Avoid travelling outside the area other than where necessary
• No overnight stays outside local area, unless necessary for work, education or similar reasons
• Accommodation closed (with limited exceptions such as work purposes)
• Places of worship open but people cannot interact with anyone outside their household or support bubble
• Weddings, civil partnerships and wakes can have 15 guests – but no wedding receptions allowed
• Funerals can have 30 guests
• Exercise classes and organised adult sport can take place outdoors, but avoid higher-risk contact activity
• Group exercise and sports indoors should not take place, unless with household/bubble
• Elite sporting events, live performances and large business events banned but drive-in events permitted.