Leamington, Kenilworth and Warwick told to stay in the highest tier over Christmas and New Year

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has outlined which regions will change tiers before the relaxation of COVID rules over the festive period.

This means that Warwickshire residents will remain under the tightest restrictions.

It is another blow for pubs, restaurants and cafes in the area with the hope being that the area would be moved to a lower tier.

In tier 3:

You must not meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble, this includes in any private garden or at most outdoor venues

You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in some other outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, a public garden, grounds of a heritage site or castle, or a sports facility – this is called the ‘rule of 6’

Hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha venues), pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed – they are permitted to continue sales by takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services.

Accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and guest houses must close. There are several exemptions, such as for those who use these venues as their main residence, and those requiring the venues where it is reasonably necessary for work or education and training

Indoor entertainment and tourist venues must close. This includes:

Indoor play centres and areas, including trampolining parks and soft play

Casinos

Bingo halls

Bowling alleys

Skating rinks

Amusement arcades and adult gaming centres

Laser Quests and Escape Rooms

Cinemas, Theatres and Concert Halls

Snooker Halls

indoor attractions at mostly outdoor entertainment venues must also close (indoor shops, through-ways and public toilets at such attractions can remain open). This includes indoor attractions within:

Zoos, Safari Parks, and Wildlife Reserves

Aquariums, Visitor Attractions at Farms, and other Animal Attractions

Model Villages

Museums, Galleries and Sculpture Parks

Botanical gardens, biomes or greenhouses

Theme parks, circuses, fairgrounds and funfairs

Visitor attractions at film studios, heritage sites such as castles and stately homes

Landmarks including observation decks and viewing platforms

Leisure and sports facilities may continue to stay open, but group exercise classes (including fitness and dance) should not go ahead. Saunas and steam rooms should close

There should be no public attendance at spectator sport or indoor performances and large business events should not be taking place. Elite sport events may continue to take place without spectators

Large outdoor events (performances and shows) should not take place, with the exception of drive-in events

Places of worship remain open, but you must not attend with or socialise with anyone outside of your household or support bubble while you are there, unless a legal exemption applies.

Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions are not allowed, 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies, 15 people can attend linked commemorative events

Organised outdoor sport, and physical activity and exercise classes can continue, however higher-risk contact activity should not take place

Organised indoor sport, physical activity and exercise classes cannot take place indoors. There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s.

You can continue to travel to venues or amenities which are open, but should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible

Avoid travelling to other parts of the UK, including for overnight stays other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. You can travel through other areas as part of a longer journey.

The system will be regularly reviewed and an area's tier level may change before Christmas - the first review is scheduled for 16 December.

Decisions on tiers are based on public health recommendations informed by the following factors:

Case detection rate - in all age groups and, in particular, the over-60s

How quickly case rates are rising or falling.

Positivity in the general population.

Pressure on the NHS - including current and projected NHS capacity.

Local context and exceptional circumstances, such as a local but contained outbreak.

An area could be moved up a tier if these indicators are not improving, and likewise down to a lower one if they improve.

For more on the Tier 3 visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#very-high-alert