DORSET MPs were divided over the next steps in response to the coronavirus pandemic as the Prime Minister announced the government’s winter plan.

Boris Johnson confirmed England will face ‘beefed up’ tiered restrictions until the end of March, despite the latest successful vaccine trials and rapid tests presenting a “route out of the pandemic”.

As the lockdown ends on December 2, more parts of England are expected to be placed into higher tiers than they were before the national restrictions were imposed.

Details on which tier areas will be in could be announced as early as Thursday, November 26. Before the second lockdown, BCP and Dorset Council areas were in Tier 1 – the category with the least restrictions.

Under the new system:

  • In Tier 2, alcohol may only be served in hospitality settings as part of a substantial meal.
  • In Tier 3, pubs and restaurants will only be able to offer takeaway and delivery services, while indoor entertainment, hotels and other accommodation will close.
  • The 10pm curfew will be relaxed, with last orders now called at that time and premises ordered to shut at 11pm.

Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Michael Tomlinson said the Prime Minister had given a “seasonal and appropriate message of hope” as thoughts turn towards Christmas.

Mr Tomlinson said: “As he promised, restrictions are easing as cases of the virus fall. However, it is also right that we strike a note of caution, the virus has not gone away and therefore local restrictions will still be required. I will continue to argue that both Dorset and BCP go into the lowest tier possible, but it will not be Christmas as usual.”

He added that it was “heartening” to hear the UK was turning a corner and hoped a vaccine would “transform our fight against the coronavirus”.

“Until then, we must continue to do all that we can to follow the rules and contain the virus,” said Mr Tomlinson.

Tobias Ellwood MP, who represents Bournemouth East, said: "There is cautious optimism that the graphs are all going the right way, so lockdown has achieved its aim, but ultimately we are not out of the woods yet.

"Fantastic news about vaccines coming online - three have real prospect of being in use by the spring - but we must brace ourselves for a difficult winter."

North Dorset MP Simon Hoare said: "As the Prime Minister indicated, there is light at the end of the tunnel, the tunnel isn't going to go on for forever and a day.

"I am hopeful most people will say there is a vaccine around the corner but it is around the corner and therefore restrictions need to be in place and they need to be abided by."

Poole MP Sir Robert Syms, who had been critical of the second lockdown, said: “I still have concerns. Whether I vote against (the winter plan) will depend on when I see the list of which areas are in which tier. The PM has given us tiers but not said which criteria will be used to put an area up or down.”

Meanwhile, both South Dorset MP Richard Drax and New Forest West MP Sir Desmond Swayne remained opposed to lockdown measures and stricter restrictions.

The announcement of the new measures came as the Oxford-AstraZeneca team announced its vaccine had proved 70 per cent effective.

Yesterday’s update on coronavirus cases reported that there were 103 positive tests confirmed in Dorset in the 24 hours up to 4pm on November 23.

Of these, 83 came in the BCP Council area, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 6,859. In the seven days leading up to November 18, 742 cases were confirmed, giving a rolling infection rate of 187.7 per 100,000 people.

Twenty cases were confirmed in the Dorset Council area, taking the total to 3,051. In the week leading up to November 18, 321 cases were confirmed, a rate of 84.8 per 100,000.

Three further coronavirus deaths were registered at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, according to the latest NHS England update. Figures released yesterday showed 237 people have now died with Covid-19 in Dorset hospitals since the start of the pandemic.