Bristol will enter Tier 3 of the coronavirus alert system after lockdown ends on December 2.
After Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the House of Commons on Monday to outline the government’s plans for December, it was revealed that England would return to the three-tiered system that was in place pre-lockdown 2.0.
Health secretary Matt Hancock has just announced which tier each local authority has been assigned, with Bristol entering Tier 3. Not everywhere has returned to the same tier they were in before lockdown, and many areas have been placed into higher tiers, including the city of Bristol.
Tiers were determined based on a multitude of factors, including virus rates, rates of hospitalisation, the rate of growth, and more.
“So, remind me, what does this mean we’re allowed to do?”
You may notice that the tier system isn’t quite the same as it was before the lockdown, with tighter restrictions to get us through the winter.
As Bristol enters Tier 3 (very high alert), this now means a ban on households or bubbles mixing in any setting, and pubs and restaurants permitted to offer takeaway and delivery only.
However, outdoor grassroots sport (i.e. your village cricket team, community football club, etc) will be allowed regardless of tier, and gyms also allowed to reopen at all tiers. Non-essential shops will be open all over the country, so any Christmas shopping plans are safe. And, finally, weddings and worship services will also be allowed to resume.
So, let’s do a quick recap of Bristol’s rules, shall we?
- No mixing with other households indoors (apart from support bubbles).
- You can meet with up to six people in some outdoor spaces, e.g. parks.
- Pubs and restaurants will be permitted to offer takeaway and delivery only.
- Outdoor grassroots sport and exercise classes are allowed.
- Gyms are allowed to reopen, regardless of tier (though indoor classes or group activities can’t go ahead).
- Salons (hairdressers, tattoo studios, etc) will be open.
- Non-essential shops will reopen all over the country.
- Weddings can go ahead with up to 15 guests, with no reception. Funerals can go ahead with up to 30 guests.
- You should avoid travelling out of the area, except for things like work, education and medical visits.
- Restrictions will be lifted across the UK for a five day period over Christmas, from December 23–27.
You can use the government’s postcode finder here.
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