The Health Secretary has just announced that Bristol will be moving down to Tier 2 alongside North Somerset, whilst South Gloucestershire will remain in Tier 3.

I am sure this will be welcome news for many, not least those working in the hospitality industries, which will now be able to re-open, but it is worth reiterating the fact that Covid-19 remains a serious threat. This should not be seen as a green light for risky activity. There remains a high level of restrictions in Tier 2, particularly a ban on households mixing inside. If we want to keep cases down and remain in a lower Tier, it’s crucial people follow the guidelines and reduce our contacts with others to reduce the spread of this virus.

Unfortunately, we are already seeing cases rise across the country. The Prime Minister has maintained his commitment to relax restrictions over the Christmas period to allow families to be together, which many people will want to take advantage of, after what has been a very tough year. However, this will lead to more new infections and, potentially, the need for more restrictive restrictions in the New Year, so I would ask everyone thinks carefully about how we can all try to mitigate this.