Preston and South Ribble’s coronavirus infection rates continue to rise as swathes of England to be in tier-4 from Boxing Day

A very damp looking Harris Museum and Art Gallery and Flag Market in Preston Pic: Tony Worrall

Preston and South Ribble’s latest coronavirus cases have been confirmed on the day the government moved swathes of the country into the newly created tier-4 restrictions.

The city saw 58 new confirmed Covid-19 cases for Wednesday (23 December).

Tier-4 widens

Health secretary Matt Hancock led a grim government briefing as he announced the spread of the new coronavirus strain meant more areas needed to move into tier-4 restrictions.

The South East of England, along with areas of the East of England and the home counties will go into tier-4 from 00.01 on Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December).

It means 43 per cent of the population of England will be within tier-4 restrictions which sees household mixing indoors banned, a stay-at-home order issued and non-essential shops and leisure businesses shut.

The government also moved areas of the South West into tier-3 restrictions.

Preston and Lancashire saw being in tier-3 restrictions remain unchanged although Mr Hancock said tier-3 “is not enough to control the new variant.”

December 30 is when the existing tier system is due for its latest review by ministers.

Christmas restrictions, which in tier-3 areas allow up to three households to meet indoors on Christmas Day, remain in place.

Mr Hancock said: “This Christmas and the start of 2021 is going to be tough. The new variant makes everything much harder because it spreads so much faster. But we mustn’t give up now, we know that we can control this virus, we know we can get through this together, we’re going to get through it by suppressing the virus until a vaccine can make us safe.”