Millions of people will be asked not to travel outside their local areas and could be banned from mixing with other households, even outdoors, amid fears that some hospitals in the North-West could be overwhelmed within days. This weekend, Downing Street was briefing mayors and council leaders on the planned three-tier “Local Covid Alert Levels” system of restrictions for England, expected to be announced by Boris Johnson on Monday. Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, said he was in discussions with Number 10 about placing the city into the third tier – with the toughest restrictions – amid mounting concern over the number of cases and the capacity of intensive care units at hospitals in the area. The talks included discussions about deals that would give local leaders greater autonomy over measures and testing in their area in exchange for helping to enforce and explain the rules. Plans for the third “very high” tier are understood to include guidance asking residents not to travel outside their area other than for specific reasons such as work or education. Local mayors said they expected pubs and bars in these areas to have to close, with restaurants able to remain open until 10pm. In telephone calls with local leaders, Boris Johnson’s aides also indicated that areas put into the third tier could face bans on multiple households mixing either indoors or outdoors. Separately, Downing Street is inviting leaders whose areas are due to be in the “very high” tier to request the closure of specific types of hospitality or leisure venues, including beauty salons and sports centres. That came after acknowledgement that the Government had not done enough to achieve “local buy-in” for some of the existing restrictions faced by areas with high infection rates in the North-East and the North-West.
