Isle Of Wight Placed In Government's Tier 1 Coronavirus System

The Isle of Wight is one of just three places in the country to have been put in the Government's Tier 1 coronavirus system.

With nationwide lockdown restrictions ending next Wednesday (2), the Government has set out plans to curb the spread of coronavirus regionally.

A new, stricter tiered system is to be rolled out across England. The Isle of Wight has been placed in the lowest level of restrictions, Tier 1. Only Cornwall and Isles of Scilly are in the same category. 

It means Islanders can not meet in groups larger than six - and some businesses and venues can remain open, in a COVID secure manner, among other rules.

Under Tier 1, hospitality businesses can stay open until 11pm with table service only but last orders must be made by 10pm, in an effort to stagger departures.

The news of the Island's tier placement comes after Isle of Wight Council leader Dave Stewart told Isle of Wight Radio that the Island "has earned the right" to be put into Tier 1.

Earlier this week, Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely said he had been given assurances by Health Secretary Matt Hancock that the Island would be treated independently to the mainland. 

The Isle of Wight has recorded a total of 940 cases since the start of the pandemic. 

In the last seven days, the Island's infection rate stands at 70.5 per 100,000 population. 

Tier 1 Restrictions:

In Tier 1 areas, people must abide by the “Rule of Six” when meeting other households both indoors and outdoors.

• People are still advised to continue to work from home where possible.
• Last orders in hospitality venues serving food and drink will be called at 10pm and customers will be allowed to stay until 11pm. 
• Spectator sports will be allowed to resume both indoors and outdoors in Tier 1, with covid-safe measures and social distancing in place.
• The public will also be allowed to attend performances and shows in theatres and other entertainment venues, both indoors and outdoors, at a limited capacity.
• The limits for sports and events will be 4,000 people or 50 per cent of the usual capacity outdoors. Indoors, the limit will be 1,000 people.

The other rules are:

• All businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-secure manner, other than those that remain closed in law, such as nightclubs and adult entertainment venues
• Hospitality businesses serving food and drink should close between 11pm and 5am (hospitality venues in airports, ports, on transport services and in motorway service areas are exempt)
• The 11pm closure also applies to casinos, cinemas, theatres, concert halls, museums, bowling alleys, amusement arcades, funfairs, theme parks, adventure parks and activities and bingo halls
• Cinemas, theatres and concert halls can stay open beyond 11pm in order to conclude performances that start before 10pm
• Schools, universities and places of worship remain open (For the latter, groups attending religious services are expected to follow the rule of six - with larger families exempt)
• Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees (15 and 30 respectively)
• Organised indoor sport and exercise classes can continue to take place, provided the "Rule of Six" is followed (There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes, and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s, which can take place with larger groups mixing)

Tier 1: Medium alert

South East

• Isle of Wight

South West

• Cornwall
• Isles of Scilly

Tier 2: High alert

North West

• Cumbria
• Liverpool City Region
• Warrington and Cheshire

Yorkshire

• York
• North Yorkshire

West Midlands

• Worcestershire
• Herefordshire
• Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin

East Midlands

• Rutland
• Northamptonshire

East of England

• Suffolk
• Hertfordshire
• Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough
• Norfolk
• Essex, Thurrock and Southend on Sea
• Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes

London

• all 32 boroughs plus the City of London

South East

• East Sussex
• West Sussex
• Brighton and Hove
• Surrey
• Reading
• Wokingham
• Bracknell Forest
• Windsor and Maidenhead
• West Berkshire
• Hampshire (except the Isle of Wight), Portsmouth and Southampton
• Buckinghamshire
• Oxfordshire

South West

• South Somerset, Somerset West and Taunton, Mendip and Sedgemoor
• Bath and North East Somerset
• Dorset
• Bournemouth
• Christchurch
• Poole
• Gloucestershire
• Wiltshire and Swindon
• Devon

Tier 3: Very High alert

North East

• Tees Valley Combined Authority:
  • Hartlepool
  • Middlesbrough
  • Stockton-on-Tees
  • Redcar and Cleveland
  • Darlington
• North East Combined Authority:
  • Sunderland
  • South Tyneside
  • Gateshead
  • Newcastle upon Tyne
  • North Tyneside
  • County Durham
  • Northumberland

North West

• Greater Manchester
• Lancashire
• Blackpool
• Blackburn with Darwen

Yorkshire and The Humber

• The Humber
• West Yorkshire
• South Yorkshire

West Midlands

• Birmingham and Black Country
• Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent
• Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull

East Midlands

• Derby and Derbyshire
• Nottingham and Nottinghamshire
• Leicester and Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire

South East

• Slough (remainder of Berkshire is tier 2: High alert)
• Kent and Medway

South West

• Bristol
• South Gloucestershire
• North Somerset