Wiltshire placed in tier two Covid alert level
The Government has put all areas in England into one of three different levels.
Last updated 26th Nov 2020
They have classed Wiltshire as a High level Covid risk, putting the county into the second tier.
Decisions have been made by the Government based by using five key indicators:
- Case detection rates in all ages
- Case detection rates in over 60s
- The rate at which cases are rising or falling
- The number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken
- Pressure on the NHS
From Wednesday (2nd December) the country is coming out of a national lockdown and a regional approach is being re-implemented.
The restrictions are tougher than the previous ones, though.
Cllr Philip Whitehead, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said:
“It is disappointing, but not surprising, that we find ourselves in a higher Tier than before. We have been planning for such an eventuality and we want to reassure residents and businesses that we are here to help them get through this.
COVID-19 is still very prevalent and will be here for some time to come, so I advise everyone to keep social distancing, have good hand hygiene, wear a mask and self-isolate when required to do so. If we maintain that behaviour and everyone plays their part, then there’s no reason why we can’t move to the lowest Tier and then eventually get to the other side of this.”
WHAT TIER TWO MEANS
Here are the new coronavirus rules for Wiltshire:
There is additional advice for the extremely vulnerable on the gov.uk website.
CAN I SEE MY FAMILY AT CHRISTMAS?
You will be allowed to form 'Christmas bubbles' with up to two other households.
These rules will be in place between the 23rd and 27th of December so some families can be together for the festive period.
A joint statement issued by the four UK governments said:
"As 2020 draws to a close, we recognise it has been an incredibly difficult year for us all.
We have all had to make significant sacrifices in our everyday lives, and many religious and community groups have already had to change or forgo their customary celebrations to slow the spread of coronavirus and save lives.
This cannot be a ‘normal’ Christmas. But as we approach the festive period, we have been working closely together to find a way for family and friends to see each other, even if it is for a short time, and recognising that it must be both limited and cautious."
The government website has the latest coronavirus advice for each different tier.
The Test Valley Borough Council and New Forest areas are also in tier 2.