When is the London announcement due?

[bendmeoverbackwards]

Do you think the whole of London will be put into Tier 3?

Will the Christmas relaxation period of 5 days still stand?

A lot of people have cancelled Xmas though. We are not seeing my elderly mother and step this year and MIL isn't coming. We have agreed as a family that we will have "Christmas" when they have been vaccinated.

The DC will both be home from uni. DH is still going up to London every day when necessary.

I feel sorry for businesses in London but they’ve had much more time to be open than a lot of businesses local to me in the north.
We’ve been in restrictions since July for much lower rates than most of London has right now, the rate it’s spreading now is like what happened in the north a couple of months back. The Christmas mixing could be very bad with these high rises.

One week covid looks manageable in hospital, all of a sudden a week or two after cases heavily rise, admissions increase rapidly. Including critical care. Then you have rising cases of staff off sick too, logistics of keeping covid away from the functioning hospital. Hospitals in the south maybe be ok but by Christmas it could all be pretty grim. Deaths follow a couple of weeks/month later.

London supposed to go into Tier 3 plus, but they are still arguing over what that will mean. Schools could shut from tonight

Surely Bearing in mind London's impact on the overall economy there is an argument for vaccinating London as a priority?

Really??

Why are London schools allowed to close but many elsewhere with high cases have been refused by their local authorities as the government didn’t want it?

My siblings school was bad a few weeks ago for staffing and cases but the LA wouldn’t close.

@Icanseeclearlynow12

I'm in Bedfordshire, I think we are headed into tier 3 too. Pretty much all schools closed in our town due to outbreaks

Blimey! My dds are at school in Herts, they've been lucky not to have too many cases there. My dds haven't had to isolate although some of their friends have.

I do think the northern chip on the shoulder is misplaced in this instance

Take a drive through any part of Manchester and see the closed up business (permenantly) and cars for sale. There are signs of it everywhere even in the more affluent bits. Pop a mile or two across the border out of T3 and the difference is marked. There is a shocking level of difference.

I don't think calling it 'a northern chip on the shoulder' is appropriate. The levels of desparation are something I never thought I'd see.

I think its good that there are efforts not to repeat the same elsewhere tbh. You want to go into and get out of T3 as quickly as possible. Believe me.

The bitching about how its unfair cos the place up the road is bad misses the point that I pretty much guarentee that both the niiiiice bit and the bad bit up the road all use the same local hospital... In this situation its impossible to 'let the nice area off the hook', because they can't afford the risk of a secondary outbreak in the other area.

The situation in Manchester is now that it is reasonable to at least release part of the city and I really hope that happens. Its needed for multiple reasons.

London schools not closing according to latest from guardian

Our local primary school has put tape down and moved things around so they can carry on staying open.. the tape keeps the virus away obviously! ( even though cases are rising)
Poor teachers and other staff. I bet the parents will keep them off anyway..

It’s always theatre that makes me choke up. Personal thing, I know

Same here @AcornAutumn especially now with dd1 training to be a dancer. I worry about her future.

@ChasingRainbows19

Why are London schools allowed to close but many elsewhere with high cases have been refused by their local authorities as the government didn’t want it?

My siblings school was bad a few weeks ago for staffing and cases but the LA wouldn’t close.

Reading the Evening Standard they are reporting that school 'remain open' technically speaking but are moving to online learning for the rest of the week. Given its the week before Christmas Holidays I don't think there will be much difference between the two...

@bendmeoverbackwards I’m also in Herts, lots of recent disruption in my kids primary due today positive cases, and according to the Guardian rates are sky high county wide so there is a good chance we’ll be put in tier 3 too

@dingit

London supposed to go into Tier 3 plus, but they are still arguing over what that will mean. Schools could shut from tonight

No. 10 have dismissed the idea of schools closing. I know that No. 10 denying something means very little these days so it could be true I suppose.

Sounds like it's been confirmed 1 minute past midnight on Wednesday for London

Rob Powell @robpowellnews
Matt Hancock has told London MPs the capital is moving to tier 3. Unclear, as it stands, when this will happen.

Lots of other journalists saying that Hancock has told MPs this is fact.

Minute past midnight Wednesday according to bbc news

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot
Tier 3 restrictions will apply from 00.01 Wednesday - a big blow for bars and restaurants ahead of Xmas. But the numbers really do speak for themselves. Almost 24,000 confirmed cases in London in a week, and cases rising in every borough.

All of the news agencies are now reporting it to be true

@kittensarecute have a wonderful Christmas. Next year will be better. Don’t let the moaners get to you. Look after you.

Nick Eardley@nickeardleybbc
It’s understood parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will also enter Tier 3

I'm assuming the vaccinating London first must have been a joke. I'm in London but can't believe anyone would honestly think that.

@bendmeoverbackwards

It’s always theatre that makes me choke up. Personal thing, I know

Same here @AcornAutumn especially now with dd1 training to be a dancer. I worry about her future.

My dd graduates in MT in the summer.

Ds is autistic and music/theatre is what keeps him going. As a family it's what we choose to do. We haven't been on what most people would call a proper holiday for years because every year instead we go to London, Manchester and/or Birmingham and see several shows. It's our life.

This time last year we were preparing to travel down to London on the last day of term to see Dear Evan Hansen which had been my previous year's Christmas present from my parents. Whilst there dd and dh got tickets to Soho Cinders (with a girl from her college in it) and ds and I got rush tickets for Wicked.

@RedToothBrush

Nick Eardley@nickeardleybbc It’s understood parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will also enter Tier 3

Massively surprised by (but pleased, selfishly, as we live in the bit of Essex that must be staying tier 2) the 'parts of'

Any news one which parts of Hertfordshire?