HEALTH Secretary Matt Hancock has set out details of the criteria for areas such as St Helens and the rest of the Liverpool City Region coming out of Tier 3 restrictions.

St Helens and surrounding region has been under the tighest restrictions sine Wednesday, October 14.

They are to be reviewed every four weeks.

Under the measures:

  • Pubs and bars to require customers purchase a substantial meal alongside the purchase of alcohol. If they cannot do this they must close.
  • Betting shops, casinos and adult gaming centres are closed.
  • People should not mix with anyone not from their household or support bubble socially inside or in private gardens, hospitality or certain ticketed venues.
  • Rule of six applies in open public spaces such as parks and beaches
  • People advised against travel outside affected area, except for things like work, education, transit journeys.
  • Those in affected area advised against overnight stays in other parts of the UK. People outside of the area advised against overnight stays in the area.

Asked about the criteria for an area to exit Tier 3, Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The first thing that’s most important is that the case rate has to be coming down, and in particular we look at the number of cases amongst the over-60s because that’s the number that is likely to translate into hospital admissions and sadly into deaths.”

On Thursday, St Helens' infection rate was 436.4 after 788 cases in seven days to October 18, down from 444.1 (802 cases in previous seven days).

Mr Hancock also suggested a vaccine would not provide an escape route from the social restrictions until next year.

Quizzed on Today about whether there would be some roll-out of a vaccine this year, he said: “Well, I don’t rule that out, but that is not my central expectation.

“The vaccine programme is progressing well.

“The leading candidates we’re in very close contact with.

“On my central expectation, I would expect the bulk of the roll-out to be in the first half of next year.”