England is out of lockdown but the nation is eagerly awaiting the next tier announcements which could see London plunged into tier three.
The capital is currently in tier two with much of the north of the country facing the highest levels of restrictions as Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks to reduce the level of virus transmission.
The strengthened version of the three-tier system came into place on December 2 but ahead of the Christmas break, are rules are set to change once again.
What tier is London currently in?
Earlier this month London was placed into tier two with the government confirming tiers would be reviewed before Christmas.
When will London find out its next tier?
The new tier restrictions will be revealed on Wednesday, December 16 – exactly two weeks after the last announcement.
If any area moves tier, it is understood new restrictions would come into effect on Saturday, December 19.
Should London move into tier three, residents in the area will have four days under the new restrictions before the Christmas bubble starts.
Could London move into tier 3 before the next review?
Some health experts have warned London should be placed under the tightest restrictions ‘now’ to avoid a spike in deaths over Christmas.
Public Health England data shows 21 of London’s 32 boroughs have infection rates higher than the overall rate for England of 150 cases per 100,000 people.
Prof John Ashton, author of Blinded by Corona, told the BBC: ‘If London doesn’t want hospitals to be full over Christmas the government need to get a grip today.’
‘Deaths will start going up during the Christmas period and new year unless something is done,’ the former regional director of public health for north-west England added.
‘London could become a super spreader, sending coronavirus to other parts of the country over Christmas and making a third wave of infections likely in January.
‘London always gets treated differently from the rest of the country because that is where parliament is and where a lot of the business community is.’
It’s possible some areas could be moved up or down depending on infection rates before next week but the final decisions will be made by a Cabinet committee following consultations with local public health directors.
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