Boris Johnson's 3-tier lockdown system explained: Here's everything you need to know

As coronavirus continues to spread across Britain, UK PM Boris Johnson had announced a ‘three-tier system’ lockdown, but several Conservative MPs have “voiced their unhappiness” and said they are unlikely to support the measures in a vote. Johnson has told the MPs in a letter that if they support the lockdown tier system, it may be over by February 3. The current lockdown is set to end on Wednesday and the three-tier system is due to replace it, however, it seems it may be short-lived. 

According to The Independent, several Tory MPs are not in support of the tiers at all, which seems to be a worrying aspect for Johnson. The UK PM is trying to avoid a rebellion and he even wrote a timeline, outlining how and when the tiered approach will end. However, the system has been criticised as many leaders in the UK believe that it could have a “negative impact” on the economy. Steve Baker, who is the deputy chairman for the ‘COVID Recovery Group’, has also spoken out against the lockdown restrictions. 

While Baker compared the lockdown to “authoritarianism”, other MPs raised concerns about whether people would just “skip over the boundary” from a Tier 3 area where everything remains shut, to a Tier 2 area where a pub might be open. With the letter to the MPs, Johnson is looking to push their concerns back. 

Now, as Conservatives, who have an 80-seat majority in the House of Commons, have hinted towards not signing off the new measures, the Prime Minister is reliant on Labour votes to get his measure through. But the Labour Party has also not officially backed Johnson. The UK PM is still expected to win, however, he told the MPs that they will have another say in January, and the whole thing could automatically come to an end in February if a “sunset clause” is introduced. Johnson is desperately trying to get his MPs on his side, by promising them that he will revisit the issue imminently. 

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What is the tier system?

Under the new system, all areas of the UK will be classified under different tiers depending on five key indicators, which include case detection in all age groups as well as in the age group of people over 60 years old, the rate of spike or drop in COVID-19 cases, and positivity rate of tests taken among other things. As of now, major cities of the UK, namely Manchester, Birmingham, and Nottingham, as well as the county of Kent have been listed under 'tier three' as 'very high alert'. On the other hand, London along with all 32 boroughs and Liverpool city have been listed under 'tier two' as 'high alert' while 'medium alert' 'tier one' has only 3 areas, namely Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, and Isle of Wight, as per the UK government website. 

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Rules of each tier

• In tier 1, i.e., medium level, people have to stick to meeting in groups of six or fewer indoors or outdoors and pubs and restaurants will only be permitted to offer table service and will have to stop taking orders at 10pm and shut at 11pm. Overnight stays are, however, permitted in groups of up to six people.
• In tier 2, i.e., high level, the rule of six will also apply, but people will be banned from mixing indoors. Pubs and restaurants will only be permitted to stay open if they serve “substantial” meals. Further, hospitality venues may only serve alcohol with substantial meals. Similar to tier 1, last orders are at 10pm and restaurants will close at 11pm. In tier 2, overnight stays are also permitted, but only with those in the support bubble. 
• In tier 3, i.e., very high level, there will be a complete ban on household mixing indoors and most outdoor places apart from public spaces such as parks, public gardens and sports courts, where you can meet in groups of six or less. The hospitality sector may only remain open for takeaway, drive-through or delivery. Overnight stays are banned.

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Christmas rules

The UK PM has confirmed that the tier system will be temporarily paused over the festive period in a bid to allow families to spend Christmas together. According to Independent, from December 23 to December 27, three households will be able to form “Christmas bubbles” so they can spend together in one another’s homes, places of worship or outdoor spaces. The bubbles, however, will have to fix, meaning one will not be able to mix with two households on Christmas Eve and two other households on Christmas Day. Households, where one is in a Christmas bubble, also cannot be in others. 

How to find which tier one is in?

One can check which tier they fall under. The UK government had informed that there is a passcode search available on the government website, while the NHS COVID 19 app will show which local alert level applies in which area. One could also refer to a full list of which areas have been allocated to which tiers here. 

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