London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Covid: Toughest rules extended in south of England

Covid: Toughest rules extended in south of England

More than two-thirds of England's population will be living under the toughest Covid-19 rules from Saturday.

Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire will move to tier three, as will parts of Surrey, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire.

And swathes of the nation already in tier three will remain there.

Announcing the changes, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs: "We've come so far, we mustn't blow it now."

Bristol and North Somerset will move from tier three to tier two, and Herefordshire will move from tier two into tier one.

The changes come into effect at 00:01 on Saturday.

It comes as the UK recorded a further 532 coronavirus deaths, taking the total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus to 66,052.

A further 35,383 cases were also recorded on Thursday, up from 25,161 on the previous day.

This figure includes 11,000 positive cases from Wales that were not previously recorded in official figures due to maintenance work on Public Health Wales' computer systems at the end of last week.

The announcement on tiers means that 68% of England's population - 38 million people - will be living under the toughest restrictions of tier three from the weekend. Some 30% of the population will be in tier two, while just 2% will be in tier one.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was concerned the tier system was "just not strong enough to control the virus".

"We've been seeing the numbers going in the wrong direction across the country in the last seven days in particular," he added.

In Greater Manchester, which was first placed in tier three on 23 October, mayor Andy Burnham said he was "not surprised but very disappointed" that the region was staying in tier three, having called for some parts to be downgraded.

He told BBC Radio 4's World at One that Greater Manchester has lower infection rates than Liverpool and London had "when they were originally put into" tier two.

"It feels like if... London and the South East has rising cases, everyone stays under restrictions," he said.



Announcing the outcome of the first formal review of the new tier system in England, Mr Hancock told MPs "no-one wants tougher restrictions any longer than necessary".

However, he said "these are always the most difficult months for people's health" and we "must keep suppressing this virus".

Cases have risen by 46% in the past week in the south-east of England, he told MPs, and were up by two-thirds in the east of England.

Meanwhile, the government has announced the return to school in January will be staggered for secondary pupils in England, with some starting term online rather than in class.

It will allow schools to set up a Covid testing scheme - but exam-year pupils will start term as usual.

There will also be a staggered return for schools in Wales after the Christmas break.

Which areas are changing tiers?


The health secretary said from 00:01 Saturday 19 December:

*  Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Peterborough, the whole of Hertfordshire, Surrey (except Waverley), Hastings and Rother, Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant will move into tier three.

*  Bristol and North Somerset will be moved down to tier two.

*  Herefordshire will move from tier two to tier one.





With the majority of the country in the highest tier, many will be wondering how long it will be before the rules are relaxed.

The trajectories are quite different across the tier three areas.

Large parts of the North have seen cases fall and now have lower than average infection rates, although there are signs those decreases have stalled.

Other areas, particularly large parts of the home counties, have relatively low rates that are rising.

Then there are places - east London and the surrounding areas - that have high rates that are rising.



The fact that they are all facing the tightest restrictions is a sign of how cautious ministers are being.

That, of course, is because of the Christmas relaxation - and fear it could lead to a spike in cases.

If that happens, tier three could become the norm for months - maybe accompanied by a third lockdown.

That would leave the government and public pinning everything on the vaccine programme.

Earlier this week, ministers said a good start had been made with 137,000 people vaccinated.

But there are more than 25 million in the priority groups - 12 million of them over the age of 65.

In theory, two million could be vaccinated every week, but that depends on multiple things going right.

This could become the status quo for many until the spring.

Around 34 million people have already been living under tier three rules.

London, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire were placed under the strictest curbs on social contacts on Wednesday.

They joined much of the Midlands, north-west England and north-east England.

The news Greater Manchester would remain in tier three provoked anger from some of the area's MPs, including Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers.

"The statement will be greeted with dismay in Greater Manchester where we have had severe restrictions for nine months, where in nine of the 10 boroughs rates are below the national average," he said.

And the West Midlands' Conservative mayor Andy Street called for more government funding to support businesses in tier three areas.



Leaders in areas moving from tier two to tier three also expressed their concerns.

Stephen McPartland, Conservative MP for Stevenage in Hertfordshire, tweeted that it was "ridiculous" the town is "being dragged into" tier three.

He said tiers "should be imposed on a district basis instead of this unbalanced county-wide approach".

Gerald Vernon-Jackson, the Liberal Democrat leader of Portsmouth City Council, said the decision to introduce the toughest measures there was "bizarre".

He said he was "slightly surprised" because he had been told that "the problem" was with the city's Queen Alexandra Hospital.

However, the hospital also serves nearby local authorities, such as Fareham and Winchester City, which were not being moved up.

"The government has made a number of bizarre decisions, so it's no surprise they have made another one," he said.

Elsewhere in the UK, ministers in Northern Ireland have agreed a six-week lockdown from 26 December, in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.

In Wales, non-essential shops will close from the end of trading on Christmas Eve, with an alert level four lockdown starting four days later.

And in Scotland, the deputy first minister warned that tougher restrictions - including a potential lockdown - after the festive period cannot be ruled out.



The health secretary announces several more counties in southern and eastern England will face stronger restrictions


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×