The government has confirmed Leicester and the borough of Oadby & Wigston will be in the ‘high’ tier of coronavirus restrictions announced yesterday.
This means Leicestershire will be split up into different levels of restrictions under the new three-tier system that comes into effect on Wednesday.
While the rest of the county will be included in Tier 1 measures, Oadby and Wigston and the city of Leicester will be in Tier 2.
Tier 1 rules – Leicestershire (excluding Oadby & Wigston)
Tier 1 has the least restrictions, which includes:
- Rule of six – people are not allowed to meet in groups of more than six people indoors or outdoors
- 10pm curfew- Pubs and restaurants must close by 10pm. Businesses selling food for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-through
- Facemasks – People should wear masks in indoor public places such as shops, gyms and libraries
- Hygiene and social distancing – general advice such as washing your hands regularly and keeping 2 metres apart from people not in your household remains in place
Tier 2 rules – Leicester and Oadby & Wigston
Tier 2 measures includes everything in Tier 1 above and in addition:
- No indoor gatherings – people are prevented from socialising with other households indoors and Rule of 6 applies outdoors
- Travel – you can continue to travel to venues or amenities that are open, for work or to access education, but should look to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible
Why has the system been developed?
Different parts of the country are experiencing differing rates of coronavirus infections, with the North West currently rising fastest.
The government has decided a local lockdown approach will be more effective than another national lockdown.
Each area will have to adhere to different rules depending on infection rates, hospital admissions and death rates.
The new tiering system comes into force on Wednesday (14 Oct).