PEOPLE in Wokingham and Bracknell are not being told to expect further Covid-19 restrictions this week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined a new three-tier lockdown system on October 12 and said it will “simplify and standardise the local rules”.

The system, which will come into effect tomorrow, is split into three alert levels: medium, high, and very high.

Most areas of the country, including Bracknell and Wokingham, are due to be covered by the medium alert level.

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That means the existing restrictions, including the rule-of-six and the 10pm hospitality curfew, will remain in place but no further restrictions will be imposed.

In high alert areas, people from separate households will be banned from meeting inside their homes. 

Mr Johnson said: “Most areas that are already subject to local restrictions will automatically move into the high alert level.

“As a result of rising infection rates, Nottinghamshire, East and West Cheshire and a small area of High Peak will also move into the high alert level.”

Very high alert levels will cover areas where transmission rates are rising rapidly and NHS hospitals are facing overwhelming pressure.

In these areas, people from separate households will be banned from meeting indoors and outdoors. Pubs, bars, gyms, and casinos will also be shut.

However, schools, universities, and shops will remain open.

The Liverpool City Region will move into the very high alert level from Wednesday. It’s latest seven-day infection rate (October 2-8) was 599 cases per 100,000 people.

In Bracknell, the seven-day infection rate was 53 cases per 100,000 people and in Wokingham that figure stood at 50.

The national average was 79 cases per 100,000.

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Mr Johnson said: “In each area we will work with local government leaders to on the additional measures that should be taken.

“This could lead to further restrictions on the hospitality, leisure, entertainment and personal care sectors.”

He added: “The government will expand its unprecedented economic support to assist those affected by these decisions, extending our Job Support Scheme to cover two-thirds of the wages of those in any business that is required to close, and providing those businesses with a cash grant of up to £3,000 a month, instead of £1,500 every three weeks.

“We will also provide local authorities across England with around £1 billion of new financial support, on top of our £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

“And for very high areas, we will give further financial support for local test and trace, and local enforcement.”

He also said that if no restrictions were imposed the UK would suffer “an intolerable death toll” and hospitals would be overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients.