Meon Valley And Rest Of Hampshire To Go Into Tier 4
The Meon Valley and almost all of the rest of Hampshire will be put in Tier 4 from Boxing Day.
Tier 4 is the highest tier and means people have to stay at home and was announced earlier this afternoon by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Coronavirus rates in the Winchester City Council area showed large rises week on week, especially in Denmead and Southwick.
“While this announcement may come as a surprise, given that many will have been expecting the next statutory Tier review to take place on 30 December, it is a reflection of rapidly rising infection rates across our county and the impact on local hospitals. Therefore, it is crucial that we all take the necessary steps to protect the public’s health – particularly those who are elderly or clinically extremely vulnerable. It’s the right thing to do.
“We must continue to work together, follow the rules for our Tiers and protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities, especially with the threat of a new COVID-19 variant spreading much faster in Tier 4 areas, and the ongoing rise in transmission in general across the country.”
The key restrictions for Tier 4 (Stay at Home) require:
- Residents to stay at home, apart from limited exemptions set out in law
- Non-essential retail, indoor gyms and leisure facilities, and personal care services to close
- People to work from home if they can but they may travel to work if this is not possible, for example in the construction and manufacturing sectors
- People not to enter or leave Tier 4 areas, and Tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home. Individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space.
The New Forest is the only area in Hampshire not to now be going into tier 4.
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