Most of Hampshire to move to tier four coronavirus restrictions on Boxing Day – including Fareham, Southampton, Basingstoke and Winchester

Health Secretary Matt Hancock held a press conference this afternoon.

He announced that more part of London and the south east will be put in tier four, after cases continued to rise.

Hampshire outside of New Forest and the Isle of Wight are being moved to tier four.

This includes Fareham. New Forest and Isle of Wight are being moved to tier three.

Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant were already moved to tier four on Sunday.

SEE ALSO: Can you travel from tier four areas?

The new rules will come into force at 12.01am on Boxing Day.

Mr Hancock said: ‘Just as we’ve got a tiered system in place that was able to control this virus, we’ve discovered a new more contagious virus, a variant that is spreading at a dangerous rate.

‘Against this backdrop of rising infections, rising hospitalisations and rising numbers of people dying from coronavirus it is absolutely vital that we act.

‘We simply cannot have the kind of Christmas that we all yearn for.’

Travel restrictions are being put in place with South Africa, he also announced, after yet another new strain was found in people who travelled from the country.

We will bring you all the updates on lockdown tiers.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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