Tier 4 is essentially another name for a full-scale lockdown as non-essential shops, hairdressers and beauticians have all been forced to close their doors amid surging Covid rates. The new strain of the virus is called VUI202012/01, which is understood to be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the original Covid strain. English areas plunged into the most stringent Tier include all 32 boroughs of London and the City of London, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Surrey.
Is it illegal to leave Tier 4?
In short, yes, it is illegal to leave a Tier 4 areas.
Everyone in Tier 4 has been issued with a ‘stay at home’ message, which includes over the Christmas break.
According to the Government guidance: “Tier 4, the ‘stay at home’ message will be put in law.”
As previously, however, there continue to be exemptions for travel including for work or education purposes.
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Mr Shapps added: “Follow the guidance and place do not come to a station unless you are permitted to travel.
“Extra BTP (British Transport Police) officers are being deployed to ensure only those who need to take essential journeys can travel safely.”
And according to London’s Metropolitan Police, officers across London will “pay particular attention to those groups who have wilfully ignored the rules”.
The same applies in Scotland.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a U-turn on the Christmas bubbles plan, instead issuing a travel ban from Scotland to the rest of the UK.
Scottish police presence will be doubled along the English border in the run up to Christmas in an effort to stop rule breakers.
However, these “highly visible patrols” will only be used to “deter anyone who might be considering breaching the coronavirus travel restrictions”.
Chief Constable of Police Scotland Iain Livingstone said it would not be “appropriate or proportionate for officers to establish checkpoints or roadblocks to simply enforce travel restrictions”.
