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England has now been broken down into three tiers: medium, high and very high. Places are categorised based upon each one’s infection rates. Express.co.uk has compiled a guide to explain how the tiers work and how social interactions between people in different tiers works.

What is the three-tier system?

The Government has introduced a new three-tier system designed to designate places according to different alert levels.

Areas designated as tier one mean socialising in groups larger than six is banned whether indoors or outdoors and a 10pm curfew for bars, pubs and restaurants is also in force.

For Tier 2 areas the mixing of households indoors is not allowed and the rule of six applies to private gardens and outdoor spaces.

Pubs and restaurants can remain open, but no mixing of households is permitted inside and the 10pm curfew is still in effect.

For the third very high tier, the strictest measures are implemented including a ban of mixing of all households both inside and outside.

Bars and pubs must close, no wedding receptions are permitted and all non-essential travel is allowed.

Restaurants and pubs that can operate as restaurants are allowed to stay open and travel outside this area is advised against.

Which regions are in each tier?

Tier 3 “very high” areas:

• Lancashire including Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen
• Liverpool City Region
• Liverpool
• Knowsley
• Wirral
• St Helens
• Sefton
• Halton

Tier 2 “high” areas:

• London
• Essex
• Elmbridge, Surrey
• Barrow-in-Furness
• York
• North East Derbyshire
• Erewash, Derbyshire
• Chesterfield
• Cheshire
• Greater Manchester
• Warrington
• Derbyshire
• West Yorkshire
• South Yorkshire
• North East
• Tees Valley
• West Midlands
• Leicester
• Nottinghamshire

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But what are the rules in regards to eating with someone on a different tier?

Eating in a restaurant, pub or other venues indoors

If you want to go out to eat with another person and either of you are living in an area which is at Tier 2 or Tier 3, eating indoors together is banned.

For areas classified as Tier 2 or above, you are not allowed to mix with anyone from another household indoors, whether this is inside a home or any hospitality venue.

You can still meet with someone from another household outside if you are a group of six or less and in a Tier 2 area.

However, if either of you live in a Tier 3 area you cannot meet outside.

Eating in hospitality venues outdoors

Under Tier 2 rules, pub gardens, parks, beaches and private gardens are your friend.

You are allowed to socialise there, but not with more than six people from different households.

However, people in Tier 3 areas are not allowed to socialise with anyone outside their household.

Support bubbles for those in different tiers

In England, adults living alone or single parents are allowed to form a support bubble with another household of any size.

Any of these individuals in the same support bubble count as a household.

This means you can mix together, however, if either person is from a Tier 3 area, travel to and from the very high-risk area should be minimised.

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