Last Sunday new measures came into force which took Britain’s coronavirus response to a whole new level.
The Government thrusted millions of people in England into a new Tier 4 of Covid-19 restrictions in a bid to halt a concerning rise in coronavirus cases, and a new mutant strain spreading quickly in London and the South East.
The Tier 4 areas covers the parts of London, the South East and the East of England which were previously in Tier 3 have moved into the new Tier 4, affecting nearly 18 million people.
In the South East this covers Kent, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey (excluding Waverley), Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings.
In the East of England it applies to Bedford, Central Bedford, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough, Hertfordshire and Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).
It also includes all of the capital’s 32 boroughs and the City of London.
Hospitality
The pandemic nightmare continues for the hospitality sector, with cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs having to stay closed under Tier 4.
They can, however, provide food and drink through takeaways until 11pm, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery.
Elsewhere, entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums, galleries and casinos also must shut their doors.
Government guidance states you cannot leave home for holidays in the UK and abroad, nor stay overnight away from your main home unless legally permitted.
This includes staying at a second home, caravan or with someone outside your household or support bubble.
Work purposes
You can only stay overnight away from home for specific reasons, such as for work purposes, while moving house, attending a funeral or you have no fixed address.
Within a Tier 4 area people can only leave home for work, education or the limited number of other legally permitted reasons.
Residents are encouraged to keep their travel local, reduce their number of journeys and avoid leaving their village, town or city area.
Walking and cycling is also recommended, with people advised to avoid public transport at busy times.
You should not leave a Tier 4 area unless for permitted reasons, such as work, education, caring responsibilities, to visit a support bubble or for medical reasons, and someone from a Tier 1, 2 or 3 area should not enter a Tier 4 zone except for the same reasons.
Tier 5
The Tier system may well be needed to save lives, but it has caused huge economic upheaval and damaged people’s mental and physical health.
However, social media can often be a place where everyone can come together and try and make light of what is a dark period in our history.
With that in mind #Tier5 began to trend on Twitter, with users imagining what even stricter restrictions could look like.
These are some of top reactions.
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Related:14 Top reactions as #BrexitIsland trends on social media
