South, West and East Riding of Yorkshire will all remain in tier 3 this Christmas, the government has confirmed.
Speaking to the House of Commons this morning, Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed very little changes to the UK tier system – confirming that only Bristol, North Somerset and Herefordshire would be moving down a tier, despite significant falls in cases across Hull and the North West.
The Health Secretary said: “As we enter the coldest months we must be vigilant and keep this virus under control.
“Yesterday 25,161 cases were reported and there are 18,038 people in hospital with coronavirus in the UK. We must keep suppressing this virus. And this isn’t just a matter for Government or for this House, it is a matter for every single person and these are always the most difficult months for people’s health and for the NHS.
“And especially with the vaccine already here, we must be cautious as we accelerate the vaccine deployment as per The Winter Plan.
“We’ve come so far. We musn’t blow it now.”
The next review will not take place for another two weeks.
The update comes as Boris Johnson confirmed last night in a public address that the COVID Christmas bubbles would be going ahead – despite growing concerns for NHS bosses and scientists. Johnson told listeners he felt it would be “inhumane” to cancel the festivities.
