BORIS Johnson is ironing out the details of fresh lockdown measures for the North of England today, and more restrictions are expected to be coming in the next few days.
The PM is expected to reveal new measures as early as Monday – which will likely come into effect a few days later.
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So what new measures are on the cards that could come in from next week?
Tiered lockdown system
Mr Johnson intends to unveil his simplified three-tier local lockdown code next week.
In plans signed off at a ministerial “gold command” meeting last night, Tier 1 will see current social distancing measures, the “rule of six” and a pub curfew of 10pm enforced.
Areas in Tier 2 will have the same restrictions plus a ban on households mixing.
Vast swathes of the virus-hit North West and North East would automatically fall under Tier 3, in which pubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses will be shut.
A leaked document obtained by the Nottingham Post today showed that the tiered system is expected to be announced on Monday, and come into effect on Wednesday next week.
It also claimed that levels one and two had been agreed – but the final top tier was still under consideration.
It said: “Level One and Two measures have now been signed off by Covid O committee but there is further work ongoing on Level 3.”
Sky News reported that the top tier may stop people from meeting other households in ANY setting – this may include offices and other public spaces like parks too.
The tiers have yet to be finalised, the Government has stressed today.
Pubs closed in parts of the North
As The Sun revealed last night, ten million Brits in the North East of England are set to be hit with tougher rules on Monday.
Boris Johnson is poised to order pubs and restaurants to shut in Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.
Nottingham is also braced for tougher measures.
Pubs shut in Bolton earlier this year and were only allowed to do takeaway only, but were later moved in line with Manchester’s restrictions and allowed to reopen.
Ministers are still working out other details, such as whether leisure centres and hairdressers stay open or shut.
Schools, work and retail shops will stay open.
Local furlough scheme
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will bail out blighted businesses, with workers entitled to a new form of furlough.
He’s still ironing out the details of who will be able to claim for extra help, as the furlough scheme is set to end at the end of the month.
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Circuit-breaker
The most extreme option the PM has on the table is for a two-week circuit breaker to slam the breaks on the current rate of infections.
If the PM deems the virus is about to spread out of control he could decide to shut down all businesses for a period of time, and may even urge people not to use public transport either.
The aim would be to curb infections spreading even further, and to stop hospitals becoming particularly overwhelmed in the weeks to come.
Booze ban
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon locked down pubs in central Scotland for at least two weeks to tackle a coronavirus surge.
She ordered that no one was able to drink inside for 16 days to try and tackle the spread.
And Scots in the central belt will see their pubs closed completely – affecting around 60 per cent of the country.
Boris could choose to spare pubs the pain of closing completely by banning alcohol, but it would be incredibly unpopular and he might face even more criticism for doing it.
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More curfews
Ms Sturgeon announced stricter curfews for Scots last night in hospitality.
Restaurants and cafes are allowed to only open between 6am and 6pm.
It’s possibly Boris could restrict England’s hospitality sector too with a stricter measure.
But as a result of the furious backlash he faced over the 10pm curfew and Labour threatening to vote it down next week, that’s very unlikely.
Ban on household mixing
Around 20million Brits already face bans on household mixing – meaning they can’t visit friends and family they don’t live with.
Some data shows catching in the home was the most common way people picked up the virus.
The PM may decide to bring the rest of the country into line with the lockdown measures that are already in place, to try and make it more uniform.
It would return Britain to the days of the spring lockdown, where people can only mix with people they live with, or are in a support bubble with.
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