NOTE: These restrictions are no longer effective after the UK entered a national lockdown on Tuesday 5 January 2021.

From 31 December 2020, around three-quarters of the country will face the toughest Coronavirus restrictions in England.

It comes amid recent rapid rises in cases of COVID-19 across the country. Here's a look at what the restrictions are in each tier and which areas are in which tier...

Guide to Restrictions

Tier 1 - Medium Alert

Areas of the country are given Tier 1 restrictions if they are not placed into the higher Tier 2 or Tier 3. In Tier 1, the following measures will apply;

A maximum of six people can meet together indoors or outdoors, apart from with members of a single household or support bubble
Everyone who can work from home should do so whenever possible
Bars, pubs and restaurants must be table service only and must stop taking orders at 10pm and close by 11pm
Overnight stays are permitted with household, support bubble or up to 6 people
15 guests can attend weddings, civil partnerships, wedding receptions and wakes - 30 can attend funerals
Places of worship will be open but will have to follow the rule of six.
Organised sport can continue outdoors but must follow the rule of six indoors (except for elite athletes, people under 18 and those who are disabled)
People are advised to avoid busy times on public transport and to avoid car sharing
Up to 4,000 people can attend outdoor live events
Education, retail, indoor leisure, accommodation, personal case and many entertainment venues will remain open

Tier 2 - High Alert

In Tier 2, the following measures will apply;

No mixing of households indoors apart from support bubbles - maximum of six can meet outside
Everyone who can work from home should do so whenever possible
Pubs and bars must close unless operating as restaurants and serving substantial meals with alcohol. Tier 1 restrictions on closing times also apply.
Overnight stays are only permitted with household and support bubble
15 guests can attend weddings, civil partnerships, wedding receptions and wakes - 30 can attend funerals
Places of worship will be open but interaction with people from different households will be banned
Organised sport can continue outdoors but cannot take place indoors if there is any interaction with people from different households (except for people under 18 and those who are disabled)
People are advised to reduce the number of journeys they make and to walk or cycle if possible
Up to 2,000 people can attend outdoor live events
Education, retail, indoor leisure, accommodation, personal case and many entertainment venues will remain open

Tier 3 - Very High Alert

In Tier 3, the following measures will apply;

No mixing of households indoors apart from support bubbles - maximum of six can meet outside in some public spaces such as parks and public gardens
Everyone who can work from home should do so whenever possible
Hospitality must be closed, except for sales by takeaway, drive-through or delivery
Overnight stays are only permitted with household and support bubble
15 guests can attend weddings, civil partnerships and wakes - 30 can attend for funerals - wedding receptions are not permitted
Places of worship will be open but interaction with people from different households will be banned
Organised sport can continue outdoors but cannot take place indoors if there is any interaction with people from different households (except for people under 18 and those who are disabled)
People are advised to avoid travelling outside their area, except for essential reasons such as for work or education
Only drive-in events will be permitted
Education, retail and personal care venues will remain open - indoor leisure will be open but without group activities - indoor entertainment venues will be closed and most accommodation will be closed

Tier 4 - Stay At Home

In Tier 4, the following measures will apply;

People must stay at home except for specific reasons including education, to work (but only if they cannot work from home), for exercise, medical reasons, to escape injury or harm, to shop for food/essentials, and to provide care for vulnerable people or to volunteer.
Individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space - no indoor inter-household mixing can take place.
Tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home and people should not enter or leave Tier 4 areas apart from for a limited number of exceptions.
International travel will also be banned in most cases for people in Tier 4 areas.
Funerals will still be allowed but with close family members present only.
Courts and vets are to remain open and people should continue to use the NHS and attend booked appointments unless advised otherwise.

Allocations from 31 December 2020 - Full List

Tier 4 - Stay At Home

Barking and Dagenham
Barnet
Bedford
Bexley
Birmingham
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackpool
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Bracknell Forest
Brent
Brighton and Hove
Bromley
Buckinghamshire
Bury
Cambridgeshire
Camden
Central Bedfordshire
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
Coventry
Croydon
Cumbria
Darlington
Derbyshire
Devon
Dudley
Ealing
East Sussex
Enfield
Essex
Gateshead
Gloucestershire
Greenwich
Hackney and City of London
Halton
Hammersmith and Fulham
Hampshire
Haringey
Harrow
Hartlepool
Havering
Hertfordshire
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Isle of Wight
Islington
Kensington and Chelsea
Kent
Kingston upon Thames
Lambeth
Lancashire
Leeds
Leicester
Leicestershire
Lewisham
Lincolnshire
Luton
Manchester
Medway
Merton
Middlesbrough
Milton Keynes
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newham
Norfolk
North Tyneside
Northamptonshire
Northumberland
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
Oldham
Oxfordshire
Peterborough
Portsmouth
Reading
Redbridge
Redcar and Cleveland
Richmond upon Thames
Rochdale
Rotherham
Salford
Sandwell
Slough
Solihull
South Tyneside
Southampton
Southend-on-Sea
Southwark
Staffordshire
Stockport
Stockton-on-Tees
Stoke-on-Trent
Suffolk
Sunderland
Surrey
Sutton
Swindon
Thurrock
Tower Hamlets
Trafford
Walsall
Waltham Forest
Wandsworth
Warrington
Warwickshire
West Berkshire
West Sussex
Westminster
Wigan
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wokingham
Wolverhampton

Tier 3 - Very High Alert

Barnsley
Bath and North East Somerset
Bolton
Bradford
Bristol, City of
Calderdale
County Durham
Derby
Doncaster
Dorset
East Riding of Yorkshire
Herefordshire, County of
Kingston upon Hull, City of
Kirklees
Knowsley
Liverpool
North East Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Somerset
North Yorkshire
Plymouth
Rutland
Sefton
Sheffield
Shropshire
Somerset
South Gloucestershire
St. Helens
Tameside
Telford and Wrekin
Torbay
Wakefield
Wiltshire
Wirral
Worcestershire
York
Cornwall

Tier 2 - High Alert

There are currently no areas in England under Tier 2 restrictions.

Tier 1 - Medium Alert

Isles of Scilly only

E Explainers

What are the latest set of Coronavirus restrictions? - Check the latest tier for your area