Cheshire East is to remain in tier two over the Christmas holiday period, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.

Rates of infection are currently at 119 cases per 100,000 for the borough in the most recent data.

Under the restrictions non-essential retail can remain open, but hospitality venues can only operate if they are serving a 'substantial meal'.

Mixing with other households in any indoor setting is also banned.

The new rules and the tiers will continue to be assessed every two weeks with the next review due in the final week of December.

Mr Hancock told Parliament today that there are 18,038 people in hospital with coronavirus across the UK and it he said it had to be born in mind the winter months were always the most difficult for people's health.

Therefore the government is exercising caution over tier movement and only two areas are being moved down a tier as a result of falling infection rates; Bristol and North Somerset will move into tier two and Herefordshire will move from tier two to tier one.

But several areas, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire have been placed into tier three, which means a total of 38 million people in England will be living under the highest Covid-19 restrictions from this Saturday.

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"We've come so far, we mustn't blow it now," said the Health Secretary.