The Dorset Council area will enter Tier 3 from midnight tonight as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole enters Tier 4.

The news was announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock today during a speech to the House of Commons.

Live: Tier announcement from House of Commons

Mr Hancock said the new strain of the virus has spread fast throughout the UK, putting pressure on the NHS.

It comes after a new Covid-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca was approved for use in the UK today, paving the way for mass rollout.

However, it is essential that the Government acts immediately to control rising infection rates, the health secretary said.

The whole of the county – both Dorset Council and BCP areas – had been in Tier 2 since the national lockdown ended on December 2.

Dorset Echo:

It has also been confirmed that the majority of primary school pupils will return on January 4.

All pupils in exam years will return to secondary schools in England from January 11 while the rest of secondary and college students will go back full-time on January 18.

Under Tier 3, you must not meet socially indoors with anybody you do not live with or 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 six. This limit of six includes children of any age.

Hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha bars), pubs, cafes, restaurants, and social clubs must close except for takeaway, delivery and click and collect services. 

Where possible, you should stay local and avoid travelling outside your local area, meaning your village or town, or part of a city.

People are asked to work from home if possible, although are still allowed to travel for reasons such as work, education, medical attention or if they have caring responsibilities.

Accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, holiday lets and guest houses must close.

For residents in the BCP area under the Tier 4, people are urged to “stay at home” with no household mixing.

People can meet one person from another household outside in a public space.

All non-essential shops and businesses must close including, personal care and indoor entertainment venues.

People are also not allowed to enter or leave Tier 4 areas and residents must not stay overnight away from home.

You can leave home for work purposes, where your place of work remains open and where you cannot work from home, including if your job involves working in other people’s homes.

Yesterday, the UK saw its highest number of daily cases with 53,000 new infections recorded.

In an update on Tuesday, local health authority Public Health Dorset said there had been a “significant increase” in both cases and rates across the county along with hospital admissions.

The latest data showed 455 new cases were confirmed in the Dorset Council area between December 17 and 23 compared to 174 previously. The rate increased from 46.0 to 120.2 per 100,000 of the population.

Meanwhiile 865 new infections were reported across the BCP area. The previous week 340 new cases were reported.

The case rate per 100,000 for the conurbation rose from 86.0 to 218.8 during the same period.

Read more: Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine approved in UK for mass rollout

Currently there are 134 Covid patients in hospital beds in Dorset, which is up from 98.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a total of 2,986 deaths registered in the week to December 18 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.

This is up from 2,756 deaths in the week to December 11 – a jump of 8%.

The increase follows two weeks in which the number of deaths had fallen.

The ONS figures also show that 76,669 deaths involving Covid-19 had taken place in England and Wales up to December 18, with 454 occurring on November 18 – the “deadliest day” so far in the second wave of the virus.