He is also expected to unveil proposals for a temporary UK-wide relaxation to allow mixing between households over Christmas. Rules for pubs and restaurants will vary between tiers, but will be tougher overall than under the previous system, addressing a well-identified source of infection but dismaying the hospitality industry. While the Liverpool trial appears to be running well, an initial attempt at mass testing in Salford was halted early amid limited success. A new study led by academics from the University of East Anglia has concluded that the previous tier 1 had “little impact” on the transmission of coronavirus locally. It found that the top tier, which barred all household mixing, had the most impact, while the impact in tier 2 was mixed.

Source: The Guardian November 22, 2020 22:31 UTC