New Tiers to be decided today which will reveal Oxfordshire’s fate for the Christmas period.

The Health Secretary is to set out which Tier each local authority in England, including Oxfordshire, will fall under over the next few weeks including Christmas.

Oxfordshire is currently in Tier 2 – this means that people in different households cannot meet inside and pubs must shut unless they serve ‘substantial meals’.

Any changes will come into force from 12.01am on Saturday December 19.

However, they will only be in place for four days until they're replaced by the Christmas bubbles on December 23.

There are concerns other areas with a rise in cases since the start of December could also be put into the highest category.

On Monday people in London were put on tighter restrictions as the capital moved from Tier 2 to Tier 3.

However, based on the current infection rates, all areas of Oxfordshire seem likely to be placed in Tier 2.

Following a warning from two leading medical publications  – the BMJ and Health Service Journal – saying an easing of restrictions would “cost many lives”, the Government is still to go ahead and ease restrictions over between December 23 and 27.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the people will have to make a ‘personal judgment’ on large family gatherings.

He suggested that some people may decide to “keep it small” and put off larger gatherings until the spring, saying: “Easter can be the new Christmas.”

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