It’s Tier 2 for Halloween

>>New restrictions for Derby, Amber Valley, South Derbys, Bolsover and Derbyshire Dales from 12.01am Saturday

>>No meeting with anybody outside your household or support bubble indoors – at home or in public place

>>No meetings to take place in a group of more than six people outside, including in a garden or other space

>>Reduce your number of journeys - if you need to travel, walk or cycle, or plan ahead and avoid busy times

AROUND A MILLION PEOPLE MOVE INTO ‘HIGH RISK’ CATEGORY,

DERBY is to move into high Tier 2 Covid restrictions from just after midnight on Saturday, together with several areas in the rest of the county.

The announcement has been made by the Department for Health and Social Care, which said the he rate of Covid-19 infections is “rising rapidly across the UK”.

The city will move into Tier 2 along with Amber Valley, Bolsover, Derbyshire Dales, South Derbyshire and the whole of High Peak and affects about a million people across the county. Burton has also been moved into Tier 2, along with thwe whole of Staffordshire.

Other moving from Tier 1 (medium) to Tier 2 (high) on Saturday include East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston-Upon-Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Dudley, Telford, the Wrekin, Charnwood, Luton and Oxford City.

This means that more people in England will be in Tier 2 (23.9 million) than in Tier 1 (23.7 million)

Meanwhile, local authority sources in the West Midlands said the “very high” restrictions level – Tier 3 – could be imposed there “by the end of next week or the start of the following week”.

For areas in Tier 2, the following measures will be in place:

■ People shouldn’t mix indoors with anyone who isn’t in their household or support bubble – whether at home, someone else’s home, pubs, restaurants, hotels or other hospitality venues, leisure venues or shops

■ Outdoors people should stick to the rule of six, including children

■ If going on holiday, this should only be with people they live with or that are in their support bubble

■ Family and friends can provide informal childcare as part of a childcare bubble - the bubble is limited to two households only so that informal childcare is provided by the same carers each time

■ People can only visit care homes in exceptional circumstances

■ All businesses, leisure facilities and other places which are allowed to open by law can remain open providing they meet guidance

■ Pubs, bars restaurants and other hospitality venues close at 10.00pm - drive-through services, click and collect and delivery services can continue after 10.00pm

■ People can take part in sport and physical activity outdoors but organised indoor exercise classes are only permitted if it’s possible to avoid mixing with people you don’t live with or share a support bubble with – there are exceptions for children and people with a disability

These measures will be reviewed every 14 days to consider whether they are still appropriate.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We continue to see a worrying

rise in cases right across the country, and it is clear decisive action is needed. We have agreed with local leaders to move more areas into the high local Covid alert level this week.

“These restrictions are challenging for us all, but it is only by working together and following the rules that we will bring down the rates of infection. A failure to act now will only lead to longer disruption and greater economic damage. I want to thank everyone who is playing their part to break the chains of transmission across the country. We will beat this virus, but we must stick together as we enter the winter months.”

Erewash, Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire were already at Tier 2.