Health Secretary Matt Hancock has this morning set out the tiers that each area in England will be placed under from 2 December.

He announced that the majority of the country will come under tier 2 restrictions, with only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly coming under tier 1. Areas in tier 3 include the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the North East Combined Authority, Greater Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. 

A full list of tiers by area can be found here while the postcode checker can be found here. Guidance on the restrictions in place under each tier can be found here. The restrictions on food businesses in each tier are as follows:

• Tier 1
• customers can dine in with others who are not from their household up to a maximum of six people
• premises licensed to serve alcohol must provide table service only. Unlicensed premises may provide counter service.
• Venues must stop taking orders for dine-in at 10pm, and close at 11pm.
• Venues can continue to take orders for delivery, collection, or drive-through after 11pm.
• Tier 2:
• customers can dine in but only with other members of their household.
• premises licensed to serve alcohol must provide table service only. Unlicensed premises may provide counter service.
• Venues must stop taking orders for dine-in at 10pm, and close at 11pm.
• Venues can continue to take orders for delivery, collection, or drive-through after 11pm.
• Tier 3:
• Venues must close for dine-in service, but can continue to take orders for delivery, collection, or drive-through.

Hancock stated that he hoped that some areas in tier 2 with lower case rates, such as Suffolk, could move into tier 1 if the restrictions are followed. The first review of the tiers will take place on 16 December, with “regular” reviews taking place thereafter. He added that the NHS will be ready to rollout vaccinations as soon as safely possible, once vaccines have been approved.

The accompanying press release notes that the Contain Outbreak Management Fund will be extended in order to provide monthly payments to local authorities facing higher restrictions until the end of the financial year. Local authorities that fall into tier 3 will be offered support from NHS Test & Trace and the armed forces to deliver a 6-week rapid community testing programme.