London enters Tier 3

The government has confirmed that London will be placed under Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions until December 23.

Photograph by Aron Van de Pol

From 00:01 AM on December 16, London has entered Tier 3 Covid-19 restrictions, the most restrictive level in the government’s system. The announcement comes as scientists announce that a new variant of the virus is possibly to blame for the rapid rise in coronavirus cases in the South-East in recent days.

The new restrictions mean that people from different households will not be able to meet indoors, or in outdoor venues, unless they belong to the same household or have formed a support bubble. Different households may meet outdoors in groups of six in specific public areas, such as parks, with appropriate social distancing. 

Restaurants and pubs in London will no longer be able to host customers inside, and will only be able to offer takeaway or delivery services. 

Sports fans will no longer be able to attend events in stadiums, and indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, theatres and museums must also close. 

Shops, gyms, hairdressers, community centres and outdoor entertainment venues will all be allowed to continue to operate with the appropriate social distancing measures. Shops that cannot be directly accessed from the street, for example in shopping centres, will have to close.

The government advises against any travel to and from the area under Tier 3, although there is no legal restriction. People who live in a Tier 3 area and must travel into areas in Tier 1 & 2 should continue to follow the highest level of restrictions even in an area with more lenient rules to avoid the spread of the virus. 

Students are allowed to change their household once after December 2 to allow them to return home for Christmas, despite the Tier 3 restrictions. 

It is important to note that these restrictions will only be in place from December 16 until December 23, after which families will be allowed to form a “Christmas Bubble” with up to three other households until December 27. After this date, areas will be recategorised according to the tier system. 

As per the government’s recommendation, UCL has announced a phased return of students to university in the new year, and each UCL department will provide a date when students will be allowed to return to their term-time accommodation. However, students will not be asked to change any existing travel bookings, or remain at home for a prolonged period after the winter break if they cannot study remotely from there. 

UCL has encouraged students to take two Lateral Flow Tests upon their return in London for Term 2, although these tests are voluntary. 

Coronavirus cases have risen rapidly in the South-East of the UK, leading to the discovery of a new variant of the virus. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has stated however that there is “nothing to suggest” that the new variant is more dangerous, or that it cannot be treated by the Pfizer vaccine which was rolled out in the UK last week.

Addressing the House of Commons, Hancock maintained that these provisions were necessary, stating that “when the virus moves quickly, we must move quickly too and we must take the actions that are not necessarily easy but are effective.”

More information on the Tier 3 restrictions can be found here.