THE whole of Dorset will remain in Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions despite neighbouring areas moving to Tiers 3 and 4.

At a press conference this afternoon, Health Secretary Matt Hancock outlined more areas of the south and east of England that would be entering Tier 4.

Both BCP and Dorset council areas remain in Tier 2.

The New Forest has been moved to Tier 3 from Boxing Day as their Hampshire neighbours all move to Tier 4 from December 26.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Mr Hancock said: “From 00.01 on Boxing Day Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, those parts of Essex not yet in Tier 4, Waverley in Surrey and Hampshire including Portsmouth and Southampton but with the exception of the New Forest will all be escalated to Tier 4.”

Read more:

Mr Hancock went on to outline areas of England moving up to higher tiers.

He added: “Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset including the North Somerset council area, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Northamptonshire as well as Cheshire and Warrington will all be escalated to Tier 3.

“And I’m afraid that Cornwall and Herefordshire have seen sharply rising rates and need to be escalated to Tier 2.”

Mr Hancock told a the press conference: “Just as we had got a tiered system in place that was able to control this virus we have discovered a new, more contagious virus – a variant that is spreading at a dangerous rate.”

The Health Secretary announced two cases had been detected of another new strain of the coronavirus in the UK.

He said: “Both are contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks.”

He added: “We are incredibly grateful to the South African government for the rigour of their science and the openness and the transparency with which they have rightly acted as we did when we discovered a new variant here.”

Mr Hancock continued: “This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK.”

The Health Secretary said both cases and close contacts of the cases have been quarantined, there are immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa and the Government is telling those who have been in contact with anyone who has been in South Africa in the last fortnight that they must quarantine.

He added: “These measures are temporary while we investigate further this new strain which is shortly to be analysed at Porton Down.”