But some of those freedoms have been curtailed for millions across the country on will be for many more after large parts of the south of England were added to the top tier off restrictions.

Secretary Hancock From Saturday, just under four million people will move from Tier two to Tier three.

No one wants tougher restrictions any longer than necessary, but where they are necessary, we must put them in place to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed and protect life.

When the new Tears were introduced earlier this month, just over forty percent of the population of England was placed in Tier three.

That increased to sixty percent on Wednesday, when London on some surrounding areas, were placed in the top tier on from Saturday, sixty eight percent of the population of England will be in Tier three.

Good afternoon, everybody.

It wasn't meant to be like that.

On the day he outlined the New Tears last month, the prime minister held out hope off movement down the tears.

The allocation of tears will be reviewed every fourteen days, starting on the sixteenth of December.

So your tier is not your destiny.

Every area has the means of escape.

In the end, just three areas in England will move down a tear.

When Boris Johnson set a new course for England here in Downing Street last month, he probably didn't have in mind a relax ation of the rules in relatively small parts of the country on a far larger expansion off the top tier.

But it's highly likely that government scientists feared that might happen.

At the launch of the new system, the prime minister said that the top two tiers would drive the virus down.

But standing right next to him, England's chief medical officer, Chris Witty, said that only the very top tier would do that.

It's not just Boris Johnson who is being forced into tough new measures in Northern Ireland.

A six week locked down will be introduced on the twenty sixth of December.

The executive has probably taken its hardest decision.

It's most decision in regards the high we've had the combat covert collectively, Graham Brady, back in Westminster, some unhappy conservative backbenchers.

I've got colleagues across the country who are hopping mad about the restrictions that have been put on their constituents when they don't believe it's justified experience.

Brady Sir Graham Brady has his own complaints as his Greater Manchester region remains in Tier three.

Uh, I think Greater Manchester was a whole should have gone into Tier two.

If you look at other comparable areas with similar rates off coronavirus infection, many of them are in lower a test.

But even if Grace Manchester of the whole didn't go into Tier two, then at the very least, the boroughs in grace Manchester with the lowest rates of infection Trafford, Stockport and Tame side should have done so.

The leader of one council put into the top tier talks of a mixed mood.

I think people are resigned.

I think there are some people who like a higher level of restriction because I think it's going to keep them safe until the vaccinations have done so that the people who are most of the most a risk are able to be vaccinated and made safe.

I think there are a lot of people who will want to make sure that they stay at home and keep very, very restricted.

But there are other people who'll be absolutely devastated.

The King's Theater in Southie, one of the few theaters have the courage to a pantomime this season, now has to cancel.

Christmas will herald a brief relax ation of the rules, but then a swift return to restrictions with no guarantee often end this side of a successful vaccination program.

In a minute we'll talk to representatives from the Conservative Party and Labor about the tear review.

But first we're joined by Christina Pargo, professor of operational research at UCL Christina.

What do the numbers say in terms of the tears?

Working or not working?

They say that they're not working, particularly Tier two.

Almost every local authority in Tier two saw quite big increases over the last week.

Andan tier three.

It stayed about the same, and that's the most optimistic you can put it.

So the tier three areas that haven't gone down it's not so much because they're doing something wrong.

It's because Tier two just is not doing enough to suppress the virus, and we're now really difficult situation where every indicator is going in the wrong direction.

Why is that?

What is the reason for it?

Do you think, as some have said, that the vaccination is given, people hope so.

They are not taking the restriction seriously.

I mean, that could be part of it.

I don't think there's any single explanation that explains why it's not working.

Cases in London and the Southeast started going up before locked down ended its not just restrictions.

I think there's something that I've been thinking about for the last two weeks, and there aren't any easy answers.

They're just difficult questions, but we have to work it out on din.

The meantime, we can't afford to reduce restrictions when hospitalizations is so high.

Like we were higher now than we have seen since mid April.

I mean, that's really frightening.

E can see how dispirited you are by this, because you want to be able to say some answers on this and have some guidance.

But as you say only hard questions.

And I think this is this is incredibly upsetting, isn't it?

Yeah, and I mean, is it a consolation?

But you know, the height the whole of Europe is struggling with this we're seeing across Western Europe that only the really toughest restrictions seem to be doing anything right now in winter and hospitalizations air going up in many countries.

Um, I think what's most on my mind right now, it is Christmas.

Just because we know whatever happens is going to make it worse.

You know, we've had the British medical journal, the health service, the journal, the British Medical Association, NHS chiefs or saying we can't do this.

We can't do this.

We're really struggling, Andi.

It just feels like we're going into this period.

We're not protecting the NHS, and we're not protecting the people who will need the NHS.

Um, Andi, I find that that really sad because I just feel like they're going to be hundreds or thousands of more deaths than than there need to be like Justus the vaccines coming, eso you hoping that the government does change its position in terms of those Christmas relax ation rules?

Yeah, I think so.

I think I think the fact is that when they made those rules in November, we were in a different position.

Locked down like it was working.

Cases were coming down.

Hospitals with hospitalizations were coming down, but that's not the case anymore.

Like things cases of high now than they were before.

Lock down where the highest level of hospital admissions than we have been in the second wave.

I mean, we're not in a situation where we can afford to relax further on the people who will get sick and die because of it.

But the people who would be first in line for the vaccine in January, I mean, that's just tragic to me.