The Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that Somerset will move into Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions from Boxing Day.

That means Very High Alert, with the R rate, or rate of infection across the county now being put at between 0.9 - 1.2. (as of December 18).

The meeting up rules for Tier 3 are:

Meeting indoors

You must not meet socially indoors with anybody you do not:

-live with

-have a support bubble with

-Unless a legal exemption applies.

'Indoors' means any indoor setting, including:

-private homes

-other indoor venues such as pubs and restaurants.

Meeting outdoors

You must not meet socially (in a private garden or at most outdoor public venues), with anybody you do not:

-live with

-have a support bubble with

-Unless a legal exemption applies.

However, you can see friends and family you do not live with (or do not have a support bubble with) in some outdoor public places, in a group of up to 6. This limit of 6 includes children of any age.

You can continue to meet in a group larger than 6 if you are all from the same household or support bubble, or another legal exemption applies.

Support and childcare bubbles

There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles across all tiers. Support bubbles have been expanded. From 2 December you can form a support bubble with another household if you:

-are the only adult in your household (any other members of the household having been under 18 on 12 June 2020), or are an under 18 year old living alone

-live with someone with a disability who requires continuous care and there is no other adult living in the household

-live with child under 1, or who was under 1 on 2 December 2020

-live with a child under 5, or who was under 5 on 2 December 2020, with a disability

You may need to change your support bubble if your circumstances change. Find out more about changing your support bubble.

Meeting in larger groups

There are exceptions where people can continue to gather indoors or in private gardens, or in groups larger than 6, in outdoor public places:

-as part of a single household or support bubble

-in a childcare bubble (for the purposes of childcare only)

for work, or providing voluntary or charitable services, including in other people's homes (read guidance on working safely in other people's homes)

-for registered childcare, education or training – meaning education related to a formal curriculum or training that relates to work or obtaining work

-for supervised activities provided for children and those who were under 18 on 31 August 2020, including wraparound care (before and after-school childcare), children's groups, activities for under-18s, and children's playgroups

-for parent and toddler groups – up to a maximum of 15 people. Under-5s do not count towards this limit. These cannot take place in private dwellings

-for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians

-to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care

-for prospective adopting parents to meet a child or children who may be placed with them

- to see someone who is dying

-to fulfil a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service

for gatherings within criminal justice accommodation or immigration detention centres

-to provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable, or to provide respite for a carer

-for a wedding or equivalent ceremony where the organiser has carried out a risk assessment and taken all reasonable measures. Receptions are not permitted to limit the risk of transmission of the virus. These cannot take place in private dwellings, except for weddings that take place in exceptional circumstances where one of the parties is seriously ill and not expected to recover

-for funerals – up to a maximum of 30 people – and for commemorative events, such as wakes or stone settings – up to 15 people. These cannot take place in private dwellings except for members of the same household or support bubble.

For the full details of the rules and regulations around Tier 3 click HERE:

the gov dot uk site