Health Secretary announces Tier 4 restrictions for more of England
The announcement comes as pressure on the NHS increases amid steep rise in infection rates
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has provided an update on Tiers across England as cases continue to rise around the UK.
New Tier 4 restrictions will come into place in the Midlands, the North East and parts of the North West and South West of England from one minute past midnight on Thursday.
They join areas in the South East and East of England such as Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire which entered Tier 4 on Boxing day.
Meanwhile, Liverpool and North Yorkshire will move to Tier 3. The changes mean that almost all of England is in Tier 3 or 4.
The announcement comes amid warnings that the NHS risks reaching breaking point with an increase in hospitalisations.
"The pressures on the NHS are real"
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Hancock said: “Sharply rising cases and the hospitalisations that follow demonstrate the need to act where the virus is spreading.”
He added: “Unfortunately, this new variant is now spreading across most of England and cases are doubling fast.
“It is therefore necessary to apply Tier 4 measures to a wider area, including the remaining parts of the South East, as well as large parts of the Midlands, the North West, the North East and the South West.”
The changes come after a second vaccine was approved for mass UK rollout.
"The end is in sight"
Mr. Hancock opened the briefing by expressing his delight that Oxford/AstraZeneca jab has been approved, 530,000 doses of which will be available from Monday.
He said: "It offers hope, not just for this country, but for the whole world.
"The vaccine is the route out of this crisis and the approval this morning of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is another world-first for Britain and it’s the single biggest stride that we’ve been able to take since this pandemic began.”
Find out what Tier you are in
You can find out what Tier you are in on the Government website.