St Helens will remain in Tier 2 following review

The Liverpool City Region, which St Helens is a part of, has been under Tier 2 restrictions since the national lockdown lifted on December 2.

Prior to the lockdown, the region became the first area in England to be placed in Tier 3 – the highest alert level of the government’s tiered system.

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Declining infection rates and hospital admissions across the region meant it was able to move into the middle tier of the regional tier system.

Regulations require the government to review the allocations every 14 days, with the first review finalised on Wednesday.

Just before noon today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock made a statement where he announced the new allocations.

The vast majority of Tier 3 areas, including Greater Manchester, will remain in Tier 3, with a number of areas also being shifted to Tier 3 in the South.

For St Helens and the Liverpool City Region, there is no change, which is what was expected to happen given our current standing.

While infection rates and hospital admissions continue to fall across the region, it was widely believed they are still too high to enable a move to Tier 1.

Despite falling rates in four out of the five boroughs in the city region, the weekly infection rate across the region as whole increased from 87.9 cases per 100,000 people to 88.9, in the week ending December 10.

More recent data shows that, in the seven days up to December 12, St Helens’ infection rate was 119.1, per 100,000 people.

That is the second highest seven-day infection rate in the city region, behind Halton.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock gave a speech in the House of Commons today

What are the Tier 2 rules?

As before, social mixing indoors is banned, unless it is within your support bubble. When outdoors, no more than six people can mix.

You can attend places of worship for a service, although you are not allowed to socialise with anyone outside of your household or support bubble.

Pubs, bars and restaurants will remain closed, with the exemption of those that serve “substantial meals”.

Venues must stop taking orders at 10pm and must close by 11pm.

Shops will also remain open, although a number of high profile retailers have announced that they will not be opening on Boxing Day to allow staff to take a well-earned break.

Indoor entertainment venues, such as cinemas, casinos and bowling alleys, must close at 11pm.

Everyone who can work from home should do so.

You can continue to travel to venues that are open, or for reasons such as work or education, but you should reduce the number of journeys you make wherever possible.

If you live in a Tier 2 area, you must continue to follow Tier 2 rules when you travel to a Tier 1 area.

You should avoid travel to or overnight stays in Tier 3 areas other than where necessary.

The full government guidance for Tier 2 can be found here.

What about Christmas?

The next tier review is due to be completed by December 30.

Before that takes place, however, restrictions are set to eased between December 23 to 27 December.

During those five days of Christmas, households will be allowed to form a ‘Christmas bubble’ composed of people from no more than three households.

However, Boris Johnson advised the public on Wednesday to minimise contacts before seeing their loved ones at Christmas.

The Prime Minister also urged the public to avoid travelling from high prevalence areas to ones that are not so badly affected.

Addressing the nation in Downing Street, Mr Johnson said the current picture was “more challenging than we hoped when we first set the rules.”

Restrictions will be eased between December 23 to 27 December

Under the rules, you can meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces.

You cannot meet your Christmas bubble in any other indoor setting, such as a pub, hotel, shop, theatre, or restaurant. In these settings, rules on who you can and cannot meet depend on your tier.

Mr Johnson stressed that the three-household limit is the “maximum” and not the target to aim for.

If you do decide to form a Christmas bubble, you should stop any unnecessary social contact outside your household as soon as possible and for at least five days before meeting your Christmas bubble.

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The Prime Minister also said people should “think carefully” about avoiding crowds in the Boxing Day sales, and said no-one should be gathering in large groups to see in the New Year.

From 28, December, you must follow the guidance for the tier in your area..

For more details on making a Christmas Bubble, click here.