The four Hertfordshire districts that have now moved into Tier 3 are likely to stay there “for at least four weeks”, a public health boss for the county has said.

Watford, Hertsmere, Three Rivers and Broxbourne were moved up from Tier 2 restrictions at 12.01am this morning, with the four areas seeing the highest rates of Covid-19 infections across the county.

The move was announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Monday before the first planned review of Tiers today (December 16).

The Government announced in November that the local Tier reviews will be looked at every two weeks, meaning it is likely the next one will go ahead on December 30.

During a Covid-19 press briefing this morning, Hertfordshire’s executive member for public health Tim Hutchings said he felt the four areas moving up would “definitely not” be moved back down by then.

He said: “I can’t envisage any scenario where the Government would take us out that quickly, particularly over a period like Christmas where readings are likely to be very inconsistent.

“I think we have this for at least four weeks.”

The six other districts in Hertfordshire – St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield, Stevenage, North Herts, East Herts and Dacorum – are all still in Tier 2 but are set to be part of the Government’s planned Tier review today.

Cllr Hutchings warned that the six districts “are not out of the woods yet”.

Watford Observer:

He said: “The numbers shot up very quickly and as a consequence we now know we have four districts and boroughs in Tier 3 and so the message I would give to the other six is be very careful. You could follow.”

Hertfordshire’s Director of Public Health Jim McManus felt that “whatever Tier we are in is a bit irrelevant”, with people needing to behave “like they are encountering the virus” when they go out.

He said: “The virus is far more prevalent than it has ever been in this part of England – I am including London, Essex and Hertfordshire in that – and it is spreading very very rapidly.

“It is as fast, if not faster, than some of the places in the north west in Summer. We are clearly into either an acceleration of the second peak or indeed the third peak.

“People’s behaviour at Christmas could turn this into either a circuit breaker for the virus if we do the things we need to or could actually make it worse.

“So I think we are in a very dangerous time and position, but I would say is that the tiering will do some things."