PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has today (Monday) announced details of what and how new guidelines about coronavirus will be implemented when the current period of lockdown ends on Wednesday, December 2.

But, on the resumption, the Government will grade areas and there will be changes in the levels of restrictions imposed in each tier.

The Prime Minister briefed the nation this afternoon (Monday, 23 November) and it may not be until Thursday that Ashby knows which tier it is in as further evaluations are undertaken.

Mr Johnson says that a number of areas that were in Tier One at lockdown may be lifted into Tier Two.

That may include Ashby, with North West Leicestershire slightly above the national average in recent weeks.

Some of today's measures:

The lifting of the national lockdown from December 2 will see:

•Non-essential shops, hairdressers, gyms and leisure facilities reopen across the whole of England

•Collective worship, weddings and all outdoor sports can resume, subject to social distancing, across the whole of England

•The "rule of six" will return - meaning people will no longer be limited to seeing only one other person in outdoor public - across the whole of England

•The previous 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants will be extended to 11pm, with last orders at 10pm.

The prime minister warned that the next few weeks will still prove to be a "hard winter" and "Christmas cannot be normal", but he said the country had "turned a corner and the escape route is in sight".

"We must hold out against the virus until testing and vaccines come to our rescue and reduce the need for restrictions," he added.

• In Tier 1 areas, people will be urged to work from home wherever possible.

• In Tier 2 areas, pubs and bars must close unless they are serving substantial meals along with alcoholic drinks.

• In Tier 3 areas all pubs, bars and restaurants must close except for delivery, takeaway and drive-through. Hotels and indoor entertainment venues must also close in these areas.

The prime minister said he expected to announce on Thursday which areas of England will be in which tier - a decision that will be based on local infection rates and pressures on hospitals.

"I'm sorry to say we expect that more regions will fall at least temporarily into higher levels than before," he added.

"But by using these tougher tiers and by using rapid turnaround tests on an ever greater scale to drive R below one and keep it there, it should be possible for areas to move down the tiering scale to lower levels of restrictions."

The government will review tiering allocations for each part of the country every two weeks.

Meanwhile, for the first time since the country's first lockdown in March, fans will be allowed back into sports stadiums in areas with the lowest cases of coronavirus.

In Tier 1, 50% capacity or 4,000 spectators - whichever is lower - will be allowed in outdoor venues, with a maximum 1,000 indoors.

In Tier 2, 50% capacity or 2,000 spectators - whichever is lower, will be allowed in outdoor venues, with a maximum 1,000 indoors.

People in England will also now be able to travel both within the country and abroad for holidays once again from 2 December, although they will remain subject to quarantine rules and local tiered restrictions.

The prime minister told MPs that his winter plan "is designed to carry us safely to spring", while he said the "scientific cavalry is in sight" as he praised advances in testing, treatment and vaccines.

"By the spring these advances should reduce the need for the restrictions we have endured in 2020 and make the whole concept of a COVID lockdown redundant," Mr Johnson said.

Source: Sky News