Relief as Knaresborough avoids Tier 3 as town looks to better fortunes in 2021

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the announcement to MPs in The House of Commons this morning, which will come into effect at the end of the current national lockdown.

Hannah Gostlow, Knaresborough Town Councillor, has called on the town to take positives from the news and build optimism for a brighter 2021.

Coun Gostlow said: “I am pleased for Knaresborough’s businesses, as well as the churches and outdoor sports groups, that the area has avoided tier 3 restrictions.

“With so many new shops opening in our town over the last few months I wanted them to have the best chance to thrive.”

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The majority of England will be in the two toughest levels of measures when the national lockdown ends next week.

With most of the country sitting alongside Knaresborough in tier 2, 21 local authority areas including Sheffield and Leeds will enter tier three, the highest level.

Differences between the tiers include limits on where households can meet up, meaning Knaresborough residents must obey the rule of six outdoors and avoid all indoor household mixing.

Care home visits are allowed in tier 2 if there are arrangements such as screens, pods and window visits put in place.

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Spectators can return to sports stadiums, with limits of 2,000 fans or 50 percent capacity, while grassroots sport can take place outdoors without restrictions but not indoors if there is interaction between different households.

Coun Gostlow added: “We all have to remain cautious, stick to the rules and hope the New Year brings better news with the rollout of vaccines.”

The first review of the tier allocations will take place on December 16, with the potential for Knaresborough to move down a tier before Christmas if they are making progress in slowing the spread of the virus.