London and the parts of the South East have been plunged into Tier four lockdown restrictions ahead of Christmas after a new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus was revealed.

Fears that this new strain of Covid could dramatically increase the R-rate in the UK and put the NHS under crippling pressure heading into the new year has also caused the government to change the rules for Christmas at the last minute, restricting household mingling to one day only in tiers one to three and banning it entirely in tier four

The new rules for Tier four areas came into law on Sunday 20 December. This means that those in Tier four can now not leave or be outside of the place they are living unless they have a reasonable excuse.

This is what counts as a ‘reasonable excuse’ according to government guidelines:

When are you allowed to leave the house in tier four areas?

If you live in Tier 4 you must not leave or be outside of your home or garden except where you have a ‘reasonable excuse’ and this includes:

• Work and volunteering – where you cannot do your job from home
• Essential activities – such as to buy food or medicine, or to collect any items – including food or drink – ordered through click-and-collect or as a takeaway.
• Fulfilling legal obligations – this includes buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property
• Education and childcare – this includes childcare bubbles.
• To provide care for vulnerable people
• To provide emergency assistance
• Exercise and recreation – You can continue to do unlimited exercise alone, or in a public outdoor place with your household, support bubble, or one other person.
• Medical reasons, harm and compassionate visits
• Communal worship and life events

The government also advise: ‘In general, you must not meet with another person socially or undertake any activities with another person. However, you can exercise or meet in a public outdoor place with people you live with, your support bubble (or as part of a childcare bubble), or with one other person.’

In general, the overall advice is that those in Tier four should ‘minimise time spent outside the home’ as much as possible.

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