Will Oxfordshire move from Tier 4 before the new year?

On Boxing Day, Oxfordshire was moved into Tier 4, the toughest lockdown restrictions, after Matt Hancock said the new coronavirus variant was spreading at a ‘dangerous rate’.

Tier 4 bans gyms, non-essential retail, and pubs from opening and people meeting up inside.

The government is set to review the regional Tier restrictions tomorrow.

Here we look at whether Oxfordshire could move into a different Tier…

Why was Oxfordshire moved into Tier 4?

The government said that Oxfordshire had been accelerated from Tier 2 to Tier 4 because of the proximity to Tier 4 areas, hospital admissions and a rapid increase in case rates by 84%.

Oxford Mail:

Screenshot from the government’s last Tier review update.

What does the data say?

The latest data from Oxfordshire County Council shows that coronavirus cases have more than doubled in parts of the county.

Oxford Mail:

In the seven days leading up to December 18, the latest data published, there were:

  • 503 cases in Cherwell (141% up on the week before)
  • 440 cases in Oxford (58% up on the week before)
  • 251 cases in South Oxfordshire (51% up on the week before)
  • 245 cases in the Vale of White Horse (87% up on the week before) 
  • 197 cases in West Oxfordshire (112% up on the week before) 

How many cases were recorded yesterday? 

According to Public Health England, as of 9am Monday, these were the number of new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours: 

  • Oxford - 59
  • Cherwell - 86 
  • South Oxfordshire - 75
  • Vale of White Horse - 56
  • West Oxfordshire - 36
  • Oxfordshire - 312
  • South East - 6,950 
  • UK - 41,385 

There were no new deaths in Oxfordshire yesterday.

How many people are in hospital with Covid-19 in Oxfordshire? 

At hospitals part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust there are currently 135 patients with Covid-19, 12 of them are on ventilation. On Sunday, 19 new patients with coronavirus were admitted to hospital. 

At hospitals part of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, there are a total of 15 patients with coronavirus, none are on ventilation. On Sunday, six new patients with coronavirus were admitted to hospital. 

How does the government decide which area will move into which Tier?

It said decisions are based on five indicators:

  • case detection rates in all age groups
  • case detection rates in the over-60s
  • the rate at which cases are rising or falling
  • positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken)
  • pressure on the NHS

The indicators are designed to provide a full picture of what is happening with the virus in any area so that suitable action can be taken.

How does Oxfordshire compare with other areas in Tier 4?

From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; the tier of Covid-19 restrictions in which the local authority is currently placed; rate of new cases in the seven days to December 23; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to December 23; rate of new cases in the seven days to December 16; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to December 16.

Oxfordshire: 

West Oxfordshire, Tier 4, 228.7, (253), 160.9, (178)

Cherwell, Tier 4, 458.5, (690), 255.8, (385)

Vale of White Horse, Tier 4, 239.0, (325), 161.8, (220)

South Oxfordshire, Tier 4, 290.7, (413), 159.1, (226)

Oxford, Tier 4, 359.4, (548), 261.7, (399)

All other areas in Tier 4: 

Brentwood, Tier 4, 1442.5, (1111), 886.8, (683)
Epping Forest, Tier 4, 1388.1, (1828), 971.2, (1279)
Thurrock, Tier 4, 1330.7, (2320), 1066.9, (1860)
Havering, Tier 4, 1199.8, (3114), 1043.0, (2707)
Castle Point, Tier 4, 1179.5, (1066), 787.8, (712)
Basildon, Tier 4, 1059.8, (1984), 1005.3, (1882)
Broxbourne, Tier 4, 1036.2, (1008), 762.8, (742)
Southend-on-Sea, Tier 4, 1035.4, (1896), 699.0, (1280)
Redbridge, Tier 4, 1032.4, (3151), 901.0, (2750)
Bexley, Tier 4, 1030.7, (2559), 739.9, (1837)
Hastings, Tier 4, 1025.2, (950), 807.2, (748)
Rochford, Tier 4, 1011.8, (884), 876.8, (766)
Barking and Dagenham, Tier 4, 1010.3, (2151), 841.2, (1791)
Medway, Tier 4, 967.8, (2696), 995.5, (2773)
Tower Hamlets, Tier 4, 937.4, (3044), 671.9, (2182)
Harlow, Tier 4, 929.2, (809), 590.3, (514)
Enfield, Tier 4, 920.6, (3073), 707.0, (2360)
Waltham Forest, Tier 4, 903.3, (2502), 698.6, (1935)
Gravesham, Tier 4, 901.4, (964), 698.5, (747)
Dartford, Tier 4, 900.5, (1014), 677.6, (763)
Newham, Tier 4, 855.5, (3021), 689.5, (2435)
Milton Keynes, Tier 4, 830.9, (2239), 509.9, (1374)
Bromley, Tier 4, 826.6, (2747), 539.2, (1792)
Hertsmere, Tier 4, 821.6, (862), 472.7, (496)
Braintree, Tier 4, 821.1, (1253), 537.3, (820)
Chelmsford, Tier 4, 820.7, (1464), 538.2, (960)
Hackney and City of London, Tier 4, 789.4, (2296), 526.7, (1532)
Ashford, Tier 4, 788.3, (1025), 853.6, (1110)
Haringey, Tier 4, 769.8, (2068), 543.5, (1460)
Swale, Tier 4, 752.9, (1130), 926.8, (1391)
Merton, Tier 4, 734.0, (1516), 493.8, (1020)
Wandsworth, Tier 4, 731.0, (2410), 450.1, (1484)
Croydon, Tier 4, 727.9, (2815), 506.8, (1960)
Maidstone, Tier 4, 711.2, (1222), 733.9, (1261)
Lambeth, Tier 4, 710.0, (2315), 476.0, (1552)
Southwark, Tier 4, 704.1, (2245), 432.2, (1378)
Three Rivers, Tier 4, 700.8, (654), 411.5, (384)
Greenwich, Tier 4, 695.6, (2003), 510.2, (1469)
Maldon, Tier 4, 694.6, (451), 417.4, (271)
Barnet, Tier 4, 685.3, (2713), 425.9, (1686)
Sutton, Tier 4, 678.9, (1401), 489.9, (1011)
Folkestone and Hythe, Tier 4, 677.0, (765), 673.5, (761)
Watford, Tier 4, 675.1, (652), 428.7, (414)
Rother, Tier 4, 671.3, (645), 551.6, (530)
Harrow, Tier 4, 660.9, (1660), 508.8, (1278)
Hillingdon, Tier 4, 657.3, (2017), 445.5, (1367)
Lewisham, Tier 4, 656.9, (2009), 477.0, (1459)
Hounslow, Tier 4, 644.9, (1751), 409.5, (1112)
Tonbridge and Malling, Tier 4, 643.2, (850), 629.6, (832)
Sevenoaks, Tier 4, 641.8, (775), 441.4, (533)
Islington, Tier 4, 631.8, (1532), 440.5, (1068)
Dover, Tier 4, 621.3, (734), 749.2, (885)
Brent, Tier 4, 619.8, (2044), 403.3, (1330)
South Bucks, Tier 4, 613.9, (430), 375.5, (263)
Canterbury, Tier 4, 607.6, (1005), 620.3, (1026)
Rushmoor, Tier 4, 598.3, (566), 340.4, (322)
Bedford, Tier 4, 593.2, (1028), 352.6, (611)
Hammersmith and Fulham, Tier 4, 590.9, (1094), 378.1, (700)
Tandridge, Tier 4, 585.5, (516), 406.2, (358)
Spelthorne, Tier 4, 579.9, (579), 411.6, (411)
Kingston upon Thames, Tier 4, 579.7, (1029), 492.9, (875)
Ealing, Tier 4, 577.8, (1975), 378.3, (1293)
Epsom and Ewell, Tier 4, 574.2, (463), 378.3, (305)
Richmond upon Thames, Tier 4, 550.5, (1090), 354.0, (701)
Thanet, Tier 4, 546.8, (776), 650.4, (923)
Slough, Tier 4, 546.3, (817), 514.9, (770)
Bracknell Forest, Tier 4, 545.9, (669), 362.3, (444)
Luton, Tier 4, 535.6, (1141), 440.3, (938)
Elmbridge, Tier 4, 527.1, (721), 280.0, (383)
Woking, Tier 4, 522.9, (527), 387.9, (391)
Uttlesford, Tier 4, 513.8, (469), 289.2, (264)
St Albans, Tier 4, 513.3, (762), 283.6, (421)
East Hertfordshire, Tier 4, 508.2, (761), 281.1, (421)
Aylesbury Vale, Tier 4, 496.4, (990), 353.5, (705)
Eden, Tier 2, 495.7, (264), 229.1, (122)
Tunbridge Wells, Tier 4, 490.2, (582), 374.8, (445)
Burnley, Tier 3, 488.1, (434), 425.1, (378)
Central Bedfordshire, Tier 4, 486.4, (1404), 348.2, (1005)
Westminster, Tier 4, 485.2, (1268), 292.7, (765)
Kensington and Chelsea, Tier 4, 480.4, (750), 314.5, (491)
Surrey Heath, Tier 4, 478.1, (427), 389.7, (348)
Stevenage, Tier 4, 475.8, (418), 275.5, (242)
Havant, Tier 4, 469.0, (592), 343.8, (434)
Camden, Tier 4, 468.8, (1266), 312.6, (844)
Dacorum, Tier 4, 467.2, (723), 283.7, (439)
Windsor and Maidenhead, Tier 4, 455.0, (689), 239.7, (363)
Reigate and Banstead, Tier 4, 453.8, (675), 339.5, (505)
Wycombe, Tier 4, 448.3, (783), 309.2, (540)
Eastbourne, Tier 4, 443.4, (460), 271.8, (282)
Portsmouth, Tier 4, 436.0, (937), 320.6, (689)
Welwyn Hatfield, Tier 4, 428.3, (527), 251.9, (310)
Reading, Tier 4, 427.7, (692), 382.0, (618)
Pendle, Tier 3, 426.7, (393), 322.4, (297)
Wealden, Tier 4, 424.8, (686), 289.2, (467)
Runnymede, Tier 4, 405.9, (363), 344.4, (308)
Colchester, Tier 4, 402.1, (783), 222.9, (434)
Wokingham, Tier 4, 394.5, (675), 279.3, (478)
Crawley, Tier 4, 387.0, (435), 216.2, (243)
Peterborough, Tier 4, 386.1, (781), 385.6, (780)
Lewes, Tier 4, 383.5, (396), 214.0, (221)
Adur, Tier 4, 377.9, (243), 183.5, (118)
Tendring, Tier 4, 371.2, (544), 202.0, (296)
Mole Valley, Tier 4, 365.6, (319), 251.0, (219)
Babergh, Tier 4, 352.0, (324), 202.1, (186)
Northampton, Tier 3, 349.9, (786), 276.9, (622)
West Berkshire, Tier 4, 349.6, (554), 266.3, (422)
Guildford, Tier 4, 349.0, (520), 261.1, (389)
Mid Sussex, Tier 4, 342.3, (517), 241.7, (365)
Southampton, Tier 4, 325.5, (822), 156.4, (395)
North Hertfordshire, Tier 4, 322.7, (431), 219.4, (293)
Waverley, Tier 4, 322.2, (407), 216.9, (274)
Chiltern, Tier 4, 311.7, (299), 194.9, (187)
Norwich, Tier 4, 310.9, (437), 190.6, (268)
Arun, Tier 4, 299.2, (481), 200.3, (322)
Ipswich, Tier 4, 292.2, (400), 230.1, (315)
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Tier 4, 286.0, (433), 195.5, (296)
Brighton and Hove, Tier 4, 285.0, (829), 180.1, (524)
Broadland, Tier 4, 282.9, (370), 208.7, (273)
Hart, Tier 4, 278.1, (270), 193.7, (188)
East Hampshire, Tier 4, 270.6, (331), 166.0, (203)
Fareham, Tier 4, 267.6, (311), 175.5, (204)
Basingstoke and Deane, Tier 4, 263.9, (466), 145.0, (256)
Cambridge, Tier 4, 253.2, (316), 181.1, (226)
South Norfolk, Tier 4, 250.6, (353), 139.1, (196)
Winchester, Tier 4, 244.3, (305), 144.2, (180)
Worthing, Tier 4, 243.3, (269), 111.2, (123)
South Cambridgeshire, Tier 4, 240.8, (383), 195.5, (311)
Chichester, Tier 4, 239.4, (290), 106.5, (129)
West Suffolk, Tier 4, 237.4, (425), 154.7, (277)
North Norfolk, Tier 4, 230.8, (242), 106.8, (112)
Breckland, Tier 4, 230.8, (323), 155.7, (218)
Great Yarmouth, Tier 4, 220.5, (219), 184.2, (183)
Fenland, Tier 4, 217.0, (221), 190.5, (194)
Eastleigh, Tier 4, 214.8, (287), 90.6, (121)
Test Valley, Tier 4, 214.8, (271), 119.7, (151)
Horsham, Tier 4, 206.5, (297), 107.1, (154)
Gosport, Tier 4, 206.3, (175), 163.8, (139)
East Cambridgeshire, Tier 4, 195.9, (176), 140.2, (126)
Huntingdonshire, Tier 4, 192.2, (342), 143.9, (256)
Mid Suffolk, Tier 4, 173.3, (180), 161.7, (168)
East Suffolk, Tier 4, 166.0, (414), 141.1, (352)

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.