The government is standing firm on its decisions to relax COVID rules over Christmas, in England at least, despite many experts saying it’s a mistake that will lead to an inevitable spike in the new year.
The possibility a new Tier 4 bring introduced is also being discussed by some. Oh good, more confusing rules for us to get our heads around!
But what exactly will Tier 4 mean?
In short, nobody seems to know!
A government official told The Times that families living in areas with a higher infection rate could be told to stay at home, and non-essential shops could close.
That sounds a lot like lockdown to us, so perhaps Tier 4 is more a case of re-branding from the government, to avoid having to to say the unpopular L-word.
The official said:
‘There is a case for going further than Tier 3 and it is getting stronger. [That could mean] closure of non-essential retail, stay-at-home orders. That would have to be actively considered in conversation with the local authority.’
An article in the Daily Express suggests Tier 4 could also mean school closures, which would be big news for parents if it is the case. There is no mention of childcare or support bubbles at this stage.
Tier 4 has been trending on social media as people discuss the possibility. Here is our favourite example of the many tweets we have seen:
‘I heard in tier 4 you can only communicate with each other through telepathy and food is delivered to your house on a flying carpet’ @kaiya_rosalia
Of course, Wales is not following the same regulations as England and Tier 4 is already a thing there – although it is called Alert Level 4.
First Minister Mark Drakeford has said that Wales will go into Level 4 from December 28, and it will be reviewed after three weeks.
The rules in Wales for Level 4 are no indoor mixing (aside from childcare and support bubbles) and non-essential shops close.
Whether the further measures are called Tier 4 or a circuit-breaker or a lockdown, or another new term entirely, with coronavirus cases and deaths continuing to rise – and many households planning to mix with others over Christmas – it does seem likely that something will change in late December or January.
The government so far remained pretty firm on keeping schools open, so it does seem unlikely they will close, but if 2020 has taught us anything, it is that the unlikely is highly possible!
This anti-viral spray is a must for keeping everything germ-free in your home over Christmas. See more details here at Amazon.
We also like these handy antiviral wipes for quick and easy disinfecting.
We also love these little festive bottles of Santa-tiser (geddit?) which make great stocking fillers. See more details here at Etsy.
Do you think we’ll see another national lockdown after Christmas? What will it mean for your family? Let us know on the chat thread below…
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