Whole of Hampshire will be in tier four coronavirus restrictions from tomorrow
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Most of the county - including Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham – have been in the highest tier of coronavirus measures for about a week now.
But today the health secretary Matt Hancock announced the remaining areas, Isle of Wight and the New Forest, will be moved up from tier three to tier four.
The new rules will come into force from midnight tonight.
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Hide AdUnder tier four non-essential shops must close and no household mixing is allowed inside or outside, unless a support bubble is in place.
People are encouraged to stay at home, although you may meet one person from another household outside in a public space.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Hancock said: ‘Sharply rising cases and the hospitalisations that follow demonstrate the need to act where the virus is spreading.’
He told MPs that the majority of the 53,135 new cases recorded yesterday ‘are believed to be the new variant’.
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Hide AdMr Hancock added: ‘Unfortunately, this new variant is now spreading across most of England and cases are doubling fast.
‘It is therefore necessary to apply tier four measures to a wider area, including the remaining parts of the south east, as well as large parts of the Midlands, the north west, the north east and the south west.’
It comes as a Covid-19 vaccine from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has been approved for use in the UK, paving the way for mass rollout.
The jab, which has been described as a ‘game changer’, was given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
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Hide AdMr Hancock said the approval is ‘fantastic news’ and confirmed the rollout will begin on January 4, including to care homes.