Support Bubbles in Tier 4: Know all about Support Bubble and new Tier 4 restrictions

Boris Johnson has recently tightened the rules in London and the southeast of England with the introduction of the fourth tier of COVID-19 restrictions. As part of the new level of restrictions, millions of people have been urged to celebrate Christmas at their homes as concerns surrounding the spread of the deadly virus continue to grow. The new restrictions have come into effect starting Sunday, December 20.

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What is a Support Bubble?

Support bubbles are essentially a kind of support networks which help connect two households. A single-adult household is free to create a support bubble with any other household, irrespective of the size. A single-adult household is when an individual is the only adult in their household and one who is not dependant on continuous care which could be due to any kind of disability. However, you can not create a support bubble with people who have already created a support bubble with another household. People who have formed a bubble can come into close contact with each other and can be treated as a single household. You will need to practice social distancing norms with people who are not part of your support bubble.

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All areas in Tier 4

• The city of London and all 32 London boroughs.
• Buckinghamshire
• Berkshire
• Kent
• Surrey (excluding Waverley)
• Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Hastings, and Rother
• Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Peterborough, Luton, and Milton Keynes.
• Hertfordshire (Hertsmere, Broxbourne, Watford, and Three Rivers)
• Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring)

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Tier 4 rules

With the new tier 4 rules, people are urged to stay at their homes, however, they can still step out of their homes for reasons such as buying medicines, food or any other important purpose. People can also meet those who are in their support bubble. One can also go outside in public to meet someone from another household. One can also go outdoors for outdoor exercise facilities like playgrounds, outdoor gyms, and golf courses and the likes. However, non-essential shops, leisure and other such venues will be closed under the new tier 4 restrictions. 

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Image credits: Unsplash | aronvandepol