In a further escalation of the rolling partial lockdowns across the UK, the government is introducing Tier 2 restrictions on Londoners from midnight tomorrow (Friday 16 October), Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, announced in the Commons today.
Even tighter Tier 3 restrictions are also widely expected to be imposed on greater Manchester and Lancashire in the coming days, along with further parts of the north and Midlands, following Liverpool’s Tier 3 lockdown, at which level pubs and bars not serving “substantial meals” are forced to close.
The Covid-combating measures will come as a further harsh blow to the hospitality sector, with members of different households no longer allowed to mix in on-trade venues under Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions.
While coming as little surprise, with The Times and BBC among many news outlets today carrying reports that a nation-wide lockdown looms, the clampdown on Londoners has followed swiftly from yesterday’s announcement that Northern Ireland is entering a month-long ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown, with Wales also considering such a move.
Under the Northern Ireland measures, effective from Friday 16 October, pubs and restaurants can operate as takeaway only, with Hospitality Ulster describing the situation as a “hospitality crisis” in addition to a health crisis.