On Saturday the 19^th of December the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, addressed the nation regarding the new strain of the Covid-19 virus. Due to the fast-spreading nature of this strain he made the tough decision to cancel the previously announced ‘Christmas Bubble’ scheme for the newly announced Tier 4 areas and cut the permitted days for mixing from five to just Christmas day itself for all other Tier’s.

As we understand it the restrictions in Tier 4 are inline with the previous national lockdown, we saw back in March with non-essential shops, personal care and leisure and entertainment venues being made to shut their doors alongside Hospitality businesses and a ‘stay home’ message introduced. Households are not allowed to mix with overnight stays also not permitted and a ban on overseas travel.

The current situation with the country’s Tier system means that nearly 70% of the country’s population are living under the harshest restrictions. This is causing further strain on the hospitality industry across the country - one of the nation’s largest sector employers.