Millions of Britons under new Tier 4 measures as Dover Port backlog eases

The tough new restrictions came into force just after midnight on Boxing Day

Pedestrians wearing protective face coverings pass Selfridges department store on Oxford Street in London as millions woke up to tougher coronavirus restrictions. AFP.

Millions of people across Britain woke up to tougher lockdown restrictions which came into force after midnight on Boxing Day.

London and surrounding areas were put into Tier 4 measures last week following the discovery of a highly-transmissible new mutant variant of coronavirus.

But from today, those under the most severe measures in England has increased by six million to 24 million people, nearly half of the nation's population.

The areas that have now followed London into Tier 4 are Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, parts of Essex not yet in the highest tier, Waverley in Surrey and Hampshire, with the exception of the New Forest.

Further lockdowns will be introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while restrictions that were eased for Christmas Day in Wales will be re-imposed on Saturday.

Yesterday, more than 1,000 British soldiers were deployed to Kent to help ease a queue of around 4,000 lorries waiting to cross the English Channel to France.
Thousands of drivers have been stuck at the port of Dover and across south-east England after France temporarily shut its borders with the UK earlier this week.

Lorry drivers are now able to cross in France again as long as they have  had a negative Covid-19 test.

Transport Minister Grant Shapps said on Saturday that much of backlog has now cleared.

Over 15,526 coronavirus tests have now been carried out on drivers, yielding 36 positive results which "are being verified".
On Twitter, Mr Shapps thanked "everyone who's worked tirelessly over the past few days to reduce the huge disruption".

"Police, military, planners, councils, charities, border staff - all have rallied to bring food & drink to stranded hauliers," he added.

Some 800 military personnel were sent to the county of Kent, which Dover is in, on Christmas Day to bolster the 300 that were already there to help test and support drivers.

French firefighters and Polish medical teams have also been mobilised to the area.

"We need to get the situation in Kent, caused by the French Government's sudden imposition of Covid restrictions, resolved as soon as possible," said Britain's transport minister Grant Shapps.

"I have today sent special instructions to the army to take control of testing and HGV management operations in the county. Our aim is to get foreign hauliers home with their families as quickly as we can.

"I know it's been hard for many drivers cooped up in their cabs at this precious time of year, but I assure them that we are doing our utmost to get them home," he added.

The Port of Dover said it would continue operating on Christmas Day to help people get on their way again.

Across the Channel, the head of the port operator in Calais said that as of Friday evening, 1,400 lorries had crossed over from Britain.

"At this rate, the situation should be completely taken care of by tomorrow," Benoit Rochet told AFP yesterday.