Health Secretary Matt Hancock has today confirmed (17 Decemeber) that Tooting and the city of London will remain in Tier 3 restrictions.

Nearly all areas in Tier 3 remained the same, although Bristol and North Somerset will be lowered to Tier 2 on Saturday due to falling case numbers.

What does Tier Three mean?

• You cannot mix indoors, in private gardens or in most outdoor venues, except with your household or bubble

• You can meet in a group of up to six in other outdoor spaces, such as parks, beaches or countryside

• Shops, gyms and personal care services (such as hairdressing) can stay open

• Bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants must stay closed, except for delivery and takeaway

• Sports fans cannot attend events in stadiums

• Indoor entertainment venues - such as bowling alleys and cinemas - must stay closed

• People are advised not to travel to and from tier three areas

Virus mutates

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday (14th Decemeber), Health Secretary Matt Hancock said 1,000 cases of a "new variant" of Covid-19 have been identified, mostly in southern parts of England.

He said: "We have identified a new variant of coronavirus, which may be associated with the fastest spread in the south-east of England.

"Initial analysis suggests that this variant is growing faster than the existing variants."

This new strain is not thought to be more serious and it should still be possible to vaccinate against, Mr Hancock added.

What does Tier 3 mean for hospitality in Tooting?

Tooting's hospitality industry has taken another blow due to Tier 3 restrictions stopping all hospitality apart from takeaway.

Since the UK's first lockdown back in March, restaurants and pubs have been at the brunt of economic damage as government regulations have left them without customers.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan previously said the news of Tier 3 was "incredibly disappointing for businesses, who have suffered so much already."

Hospitality establishments have had to constantly adapt to changing rules in order to stay afloat and inline with safety laws.

Find all the latest news from Tooting on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.