Warrington has today, Thursday 31 December, entered Tier 4 – the highest level of coronavirus restrictions.
This means that people in Warrington cannot leave or be outside their homes unless in specific circumstances. It also means that residents cannot meet other people indoors unless they are part of a support bubble and can only meet one other person from another household outdoors.
Warrington’s move to Tier 4 reflects both the local and national picture of increasing coronavirus cases, alongside more people being admitted to hospital.
Stay at home
Under Tier 4, you must not leave your home other than for specific, legally-permitted purposes, with full information available on the gov.uk website. This includes:
- going to work, where work remains open and you cannot work from home
- shopping for essentials
- fulfilling a legal obligation
- receiving education, training or for registered childcare
- visiting people in your support bubble, providing informal childcare, providing care for someone vulnerable or providing emergency assistance
- going outdoors for exercise or recreation
- attending a medical appointment or getting a COVID-19 test
What does Tier 4 mean for businesses?
Tier 4 places further restrictions on businesses, with many venues required to close. Venues which must close include:
- non-essential retail
- hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants and pubs, with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway (until 11pm), click-and-collect or drive-through
- accommodation such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites, except in exceptional circumstances
- indoor leisure and sports facilities, including gyms and swimming pools
- entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls and bowling alleys
- personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons
- community centres and halls must close except in specific circumstances
Other businesses such as essential retail, repair services, petrol stations, banks, vets, outdoor playgrounds and outdoor sports facilities can remain open, following COVID-secure guidelines, with the full list of businesses which can remain open available at gov.uk.
A bleak national picture
Leader of the Council, Cllr Russ Bowden, said: “Warrington entering Tier 4 will place further restrictions on all of us, and will require us to make further sacrifices. Our move to Tier 4 comes alongside many other towns, cities and regions and is a reflection of a very bleak national picture, with the grim reality that case numbers are on the up and our hospitals are under severe pressure.
“I’d like to express my sincere thanks to our residents, businesses and communities who are continuing to show resilience and who have had to respond to Warrington’s fairly rapid change in restrictions over recent weeks, as we have moved from Tier 2 to Tier 4 this month. We will be doing all we can to provide support to our businesses and families during what will be another very challenging period for our town.
“Help and hope is on the horizon with the vaccine continuing to be rolled out, but in the meantime we need to continue doing all we can to stop the virus from spreading, prevent more people being admitted to hospital and, ultimately, save lives. Stick to the basics – remember: hands, face, space – and if you have any coronavirus symptoms, book a test and self-isolate immediately.”
For the latest information about Warrington’s coronavirus restrictions, visit warrington.gov.uk/coronavirus
