What would Tier 3 before Christmas mean for London?

Almost a week on from the end of lockdown 2.0, Londoners are being warned that the capital could soon face Tier 3 restrictions like in other parts of England. With a rising infection rate – plus an increase in cases across two thirds of London’s boroughs – the capital is now on a par or ahead of other regions across the country that are already living under Tier 3 rules.

At the weekend, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan urged Londoners to stick to Tier 2 rules and added: ‘moving into Tier 3 would be awful, especially so close to Christmas.’ And today (Tuesday December 8), Health Secretary Matt Hancock also reminded Londoners to stick to the rules when he was asked on LBC radio if London was close to entering Tier 3. ‘My message to everybody in London is let’s stick by the rules and not push the boundaries of the rules,’ he said. 

The current Tier measures across the country are due for review just over a week before Christmas, on Wednesday December 16. 

Under Tier 3, the capital would be on ‘very high alert’, and would see the closure of restaurants, bars and pubs in the run-up to Christmas. While takeaways would still be an option, many hospitality venues have warned that closure in the busy Christmas period could spell the end for their businesses altogether. 

Indoor entertainment venues like theatres and cinemas would also have to shut, and inter-household interactions would be restricted to outdoor, public spaces. 

Gyms and hair salons would remain open for visitors under Tier 3. And good news for your Christmas shopping; so would non-essential retail venues (and Christmas markets!). But all in all, it would be a very strange Christmas period for the capital if Tier 3 were triggered.     

Tier measures are then reviewed every 14 days, which would mean that London would remain under new rules almost certainly until December 30 – and potentially for New Year’s Eve, too. 

What are the current Tier 2 rules in London? 

Do some safe outdoor socialising at these cosy outdoor terraces for drinking and dining.