London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2025

Covid-19: Six million more people to enter tier 4 on Boxing Day

Covid-19: Six million more people to enter tier 4 on Boxing Day

Six million more people in the east and south east of England are to enter tier four on Boxing Day, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.

The places moving into the highest level of restrictions - which include a "stay at home" order - border the areas already in tier four.

A number of areas will also move up into tiers three and two.

Mr Hancock also revealed that another new coronavirus variant from South Africa has been detected in the UK.

He said anyone who had been there in the last two weeks must quarantine immediately.

On Wednesday, a further 39,237 people in the UK tested positive for virus - an all-time high - and there were 744 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures.

However, cases were thought to be higher in the UK during the spring peak when testing was much more limited.

The health secretary told the Downing Street briefing the old tiering system was not enough to control the new variant of the virus.

Across the country, cases have risen 57% in the last week, he said, and hospital admissions are at their highest level since mid-April.

The rises have been in places neighbouring areas already in tier four, he said, adding that East Anglia had seen a "significant number" of cases caused by the new fast-spreading variant.

Areas moving to tier four are: Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, with the exception of the New Forest, and the parts of Essex and Surrey not already in the toughest restrictions.

The additional six million going into tier four takes the total number of people under the toughest restrictions to 24 million, or 43% of England's population. A further 24.8 million will be in tier three.

Mr Hancock said: "This Christmas and the start of 2021 is going to be tough. The new variant makes everything much harder because it spreads so much faster.

"But we mustn't give up now, we know that we can control this virus, we know we can get through this together, we're going to get through it by suppressing the virus until a vaccine can make us safe."



Under tier four, non-essential shops, gyms, hairdressers and indoor entertainment venues must close.

People in these areas also cannot meet other people indoors, unless they live with them or they are part of their support bubble, even on Christmas Day, when rules on household mixing are relaxed across the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mr Hancock also announced that other areas would move into higher tiers.

Areas moving to tier three are: Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, including the North Somerset council area, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Northamptonshire as well as Cheshire and Warrington.

Cornwall and Herefordshire will move into tier two.

The UK's devolved administrations have also tightened restrictions to combat a rise in cases, with Wales going into another lockdown earlier than planned over the weekend. Mainland Scotland and Northern Ireland start new lockdowns on Boxing Day.



Anyone singing In the Bleak Midwinter may want to write another verse.

It's likely the NHS will soon be dealing with more Covid patients than at the peak in April.

The new variants are causing concern - especially as the one detected first in the UK continued to spread even during the November lockdown.

And cases, numbers in hospital and deaths are all going up.

Vaccines will be the solution, but they take time to roll out and until then it is going to be rough.

The only other tool we have to stop the virus spreading is reducing our contacts with other people.

That's why millions more of us are moving up the tiers on Boxing Day.

The hope is that come spring the virus's grip on our lives will start to ease.

The health secretary also said two cases have been detected of another new variant of the coronavirus in the UK.


Both were contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks, he said.

He said: "This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK."

The health secretary said both cases and close contacts of the cases have been quarantined.

There are immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa and the government is telling those who have been in contact with anyone who has been in South Africa in the last fortnight that they must quarantine.

The measures were temporary, he said, while the new variant was analysed by scientists at the government's research centre at Porton Down.

The health secretary also announced an expansion of mass testing and the vaccination programme.

Community testing will carried out in areas with the highest infection rates, he said, with 116 areas signing up.

Vaccinations have now begun in care homes, Mr Hancock said, with Chelsea pensioners among those set to receive the jab.



Mr Hancock also revealed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has now submitted full data to the regulator for approval.

He said: "Amid all this difficulty, the great hope for 2021 is of course the vaccine.

"The vaccine is our route out of all this and however tough this Christmas and this winter is going to be, we know that the transforming force of science is helping to find a way through", he said.

It comes as the first trucks began leaving a temporary lorry park in Kent, where they had been stuck since France closed its UK border on Sunday amid concern about the new variant.

France has ended its ban on UK arrivals on condition of them having a negative coronavirus test less than 72 hours before departure.

On Wednesday, Northern Ireland became the latest country to confirm the presence of the new strain. It has already been detected in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as a number of countries on the continent.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×