A REVISED tier system will come into force once the second national Covid-19 lockdown ends on December 2 and is set to last until the spring.

Cheshire West and Chester is set to discover what tier of restrictions – Tier 1, 2 or 3 – it will fall into this Thursday, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning that more regions are likely to be temporarily moved into higher levels than before.

The borough was placed in Tier 2 prior to the current national lockdown coming into force earlier this month.

Here is what will happen from December 2 and what the revised tiers mean for you:

  • People will be able to leave their home for any purpose and meet others in outdoor public spaces, subject to the rule of six. Collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume, and shops, personal care, gyms and the wider leisure sector can reopen.
  • In Tier 1, people should work from home wherever possible.
  • In Tier 2, alcohol may only be served in hospitality settings as part of a substantial meal.
  • In Tier 3, indoor entertainment, hotels and other accommodation will have to close, along with all forms of hospitality except for delivery and takeaways.
  • The 10pm curfew will be relaxed, with last orders now at that time and premises ordered to shut at 11pm.
  • In tiers 1 and 2, spectator sports and business events will be free to resume inside and outside with capacity limits and social distancing, providing more consistency with indoor performances in theatres and concert halls.

Boris Johnson said: "The hard truth is we’re not there yet. First we must get through winter without the virus spreading out of control and squandering our hard-won gains at exactly the time where the burden on the NHS is always greatest.

"Our winter plan is designed to carry us safely to spring. Without sensible precautions, we would risk the virus escalating into a winter or New Year surge.

"The incidents of the disease is, alas, still widespread in many areas."