Stricter Covid restrictions could be put in place in England with a new 3-tier lockdown if cases continue to soar like they have in the last fortnight.
Stricter Covid restrictions could be put in place in England with a new three-tier lockdown if cases continue to soar, according to a leaked government document.
3 Tier Covid lockdown possible in England
Pubs would be closed and social contact outside household bubbles would be banned under the highest level of Covid restrictions.
Public Health England admitted that 15,481 positive Covid cases since September 25 were not counted which led to cases shooting up by a record 12,872 on Sunday. This was the result of a ‘technical issue’ which led to a delay in cases being added to the database.
The total number of Covid cases since the pandemic in the UK is now around 503,000.
The draft ‘Covid-19 Proposed Social Distancing Framework’ plan is a three-tier system which is, in effect, an attempt to clarify the restrictions as many Brits are currently confused as to which rules apply where. Specific local lockdowns will still take effect. A traffic light system had been muted in the past. This system would see regions ranked by their infection rates.
The rumoured system is the following:
- Level 3 – No social contact with anyone outside your household in any setting; hospitality and leisure businesses closed; amateur sports and hobbies banned.
- Level 2 – No social contact in private homes or gardens outside your bubbles; avoid visiting care homes; only make essential journeys.
- Level 1 – ‘Rule of six‘ for gatherings; wear face masks in shops and pubs and on transport; 10pm curfew on hospitality; 15 people at weddings, 30 at funerals.
The plans have not yet been confirmed by officials and it is possible that many of the measures could still be altered. The government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies advises in the document: “Preventing household mixing and closing businesses and venues in which there is close social interaction was recommended as the best way to reduce R“.
Jon Ashworth, the Shadow Health Secretary, called for a “clear criteria to apply when an area goes into lockdown and how it escapes”.
