North West Covid tiers: What you can and cannot do in your area

  • Video explainer: What you can and cannot do under each tier after lockdown ends

MPs from our region will vote on a new toughened system of tiered coronavirus controls for England later.

The Prime Minister is braced for a damaging Tory rebellion, but the Government is expected to win Tuesday’s Commons vote on the new rules – which are due to come into effect the following day – after Labour said it would abstain.

Below you can find out what you can and cannot do in your area and which tier you fall into.

Tier 1 - medium

  • You can meet a maximum of six friends or family outdoors or indoors ('rule of six')

  • Table service only in hospitality venues; last orders at 10pm, closing at 11pm

  • Avoid travel into Tier 3 areas (very high)

  • Large events (e.g. sport, live performances) allowed with a limited audience

  • Retail and personal care – such as hairdressers and beauty salons – can reopen, and indoor entertainment venues – such as cinemas, theatres, bowling alleys and casinos – will be allowed to stay open.

  • Places of worship can reopen

Retail and personal care – such as hairdressers and beauty salons – can reopen in all tiers. Credit: PA

Tier 2 - high

Areas affected: Liverpool City Region, Cheshire (West & East), Warrington, Cumbria

  • 'Rule of six' applies outdoors, but no household mixing indoors

  • Hospitality venues closed unless serving substantial meals with drinks; last orders at 10pm, closing at 11pm

  • Avoid travel into Tier 3 areas (very high)

  • Large events allowed with a very limited audience

  • All retail, leisure and personal care services are able to reopen

  • Places of worship can reopen

Places of worship can reopen in all tiers. Credit: PA

Tier 3 - very high

Areas affected: Greater Manchester, Lancashire (all boroughs)

  • No household mixing indoors or outdoors, except in parks/public gardens

  • All hospitality venues closed, except for takeaways and deliveries

  • Avoid travel out of area

  • All accommodation/entertainment venues closed

  • All retail, leisure and personal care services are able to reopen

  • Places of worship can reopen

Under tier 3 all hospitality venues must close, except for takeaways and deliveries. Credit: PA

The government published a list of areas under each tier ahead of Matt Hancock setting out details of the tiers in a Commons statement.

In a written ministerial statement which contained the tier breakdown, the health secretary said: “The new regulations set out the restrictions applicable in each tier. We have taken into account advice from SAGE on the impact of the previous tiers to strengthen the measures in the tiers, and help enable areas to move more swiftly into lower tiers.”

The Government's key criteria for assessing tiers:

1.     case detection rates in all age groups

2.     case detection rates in the over 60s

3.     the rate at which cases are rising or falling

4.     positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken)

5.     pressure on the NHS

  Areas will remain in the above tiers until December 16 when they will be reviewed.