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Two-thirds of England will be under the toughest steps of COVID-19

LONDON (Reuters) - This weekend, wide areas of England will be added to the 'extremely high warning' category COVID-19, bringing people under the strictest collection of restrictions to combat an increasing number of infections.

Britain, like other nations, is struggling to tame a second wave of novel cases of coronavirus and deaths, and over Christmas, the government has to justify a decision to loosen communication restrictions for five days.

The government said most secondary school students will have a week of remote learning before returning to classrooms in January in a sign of mounting concern over the possible effects of Christmas socializing.

In the southeast of England, Health Minister Matt Hancock said cases have risen by 46 percent in the past week while hospital admissions have increased by more than a third. Cases were up by two-thirds in eastern England, and hospital admissions by nearly half.

"Therefore, Tier 3 measures need to be applied across a much wider area of England's east and southeast," he told parliament, referring to the strictest of the three tiers of COVID-related restrictions being applied in England.

He said that from Saturday, the new steps will be in place. A limited number of areas were relaxed by their limitations.

After an emergency assessment reported an increase in infections, London was placed into Tier 3 this week.

The changes mean that 68 percent of the population of England will be in Tier 3 and 30 percent in Tier 2 from Saturday. In the more relaxed Tier 1, there would be less than a million individuals.

Bars are locked in Tier 2, and households are prohibited from mixing indoors to socialize. Tier 3 also shuts dine-in restaurants, hotels, theaters and cinemas, and creates further socialization and travel regulations. On all levels, stores, workplaces and schools often remain open.

Under the latest high school plans revealed on Thursday, most pupils will spend the first week of the new term at home in January, studying remotely until Jan. 11. On Jan. 4, only those in examination years, those deemed vulnerable and the children of essential employees will be allowed back to school.

The Ministry of Education said that the delayed return, together with a free testing program for pupils and school workers, would "help deliver the national priority to keep education open to all and help combat the spread of the virus."

The government has allowed members of the family to travel over Christmas to visit relatives, but is now encouraging individuals to keep their celebrations small and local.

The semi-autonomous governments of the United Kingdom's other countries, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each set their own policies for public health, independently of London.

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