Nearly four million people in Anglia region now under Tier 3 restrictions

  • You can watch Graham Stothard's report on the region preparing to enter Tier 3 here

A total of 3.75 million people in the Anglia region are in the tightest coronavirus restrictions from this weekend.

Peterborough, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire will join Essex in Tier 3. Essex and South Hertfordshire started in Tier 3 restrictions on Wednesday.

The move comes as coronavirus cases continue to soar in many parts of the Anglia region with more than 17,000 new positive tests recorded in the area last week.

Under Tier 3 conditions pubs and restaurants can only offer takeaway or delivery services and indoor entertainment venues are shut.

For staff at places like Go Bowling in Dunstable it means they have no idea when they'll be able to open again.

Wyboston lakes is further north but still in Bedfordshire. Or most of it is at least. Part of their land actually sits in tier 2 Cambridgeshire. 

It's not just commercial interests affected. While most of Cambridgeshire is in tier two, Peterborough is being was put into the toughest restrictions. Difficult for the cathedral at a time of year when for many, faith is so important 

There'll be some praying too around the corner at Coyotes Bar and Grill. The owners took a leap of faith when they decided to open in October. It means at the moment they aren't entitled to any financial help, including the furlough scheme. It was a tough job telling his employees.

But there's good reason for caution. Across the East there are now more people hospitalised with Covid-19 than there ever has been. Around 1700 are currently receiving treatment.

In Milton Keynes hospital a quarter of the beds are given over to caring for Covid patients. Vicky Head's the area's director of public health. 

Vicky Head, Director of Public Health, Milton Keynes Credit: ITV News Anglia

And even once this torrid year is over, businesses are struggling to plan for the new one. Not knowing whether new restrictions will strike, or not.

MPs from the Anglia region have expressed their unease on the Tory benches about the Government's response to the pandemic.

Tory MP Stephen McPartland said it was "ridiculous" and "totally unacceptable" that his Stevenage seat was "being dragged into Tier 3".

The latest areas to join Tier 3 come after London and parts of Hertfordshire and Essex were placed under the top level of restrictions earlier this week.

Covid-19 case rates are rising in all but one region of England, according to the latest weekly surveillance report from Public Health England.

In eastern England the rate has risen from 152.9 to 249.1 per 100,000.