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The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, appeared in the House of Commons today to announce the latest changes to the tiering system, with areas in the East and South-East entering into tier 3 as cases rise by nearly 50% in the span of a week.

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He began reading off yesterday’s figures of 25,161 reported cases and 18,038 people in hospitals tested positive for the Coronavirus in the United Kingdom, stating “these are always the most difficult months for people’s health and for the NHS”.

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Then moving on to the tiering changes, Matt Hancock regarded back to the emergency placement of London into tier 3 over the weekend due to the sudden spike in cases caused by a new strain spreading throughout the South of England. With other parts in the country continuing to climb closer towards the South in figures, the Health Sectary declares the following areas to be placed into tier 3 from Saturday 19th of December:

• Bedfordshire
  
  

• Buckinghamshire
  
  

• Berkshire
  
  

• Peterborough
  
  

• The whole of Hertfordshire
  
  

• Surrey, except Waverley
  
  

• Hastings and Rother
  
  

• Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant

Only two areas were allowed to move down this week, with cases declining slowly. From Saturday 19th of December the following areas will be moving down a tier:

• Bristol, from tier 3 to tier 2
  
  

• North Somerset, from tier 3 to tier 2
  
  

• Hertfordshire, from tier 2 to tier 1

All other areas that are not mentioned will remain in the same tiering system as of now, most likely remaining there over the holidays.

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Matt Hancock then revealed the education sectary will be laying out new details on how the mass distribution of testing equipment to secondary schools and further education colleges that will take place January.

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Before finishing he reminds us all to think of everyone and act with “great caution” when visiting family and loved ones. It is up to the public to act "reasonable and responsible".

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To read our latest post on the governments coronavirus updates click here

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