Matt Hancock refuses to deny reports Tier 4 could be introduced if infections don’t come down

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MATT Hancock today refused to deny Britain could face an extra Tier 4 of coronavirus restrictions – as he said said the Government would “rule nothing out”.

It was reported over the weekend that an extra tier on top of the current Tier 3 measures may be introduced if the new rules fail to bring down infections enough.

Matt Hancock refused to rule out taking more measures – including a possible Tier 4 – to combat restrictions
One in every two people living in England now faces tough new tier two or three lockdown rules

But the Health Secretary told BBC Breakfast that the rise in cases has slowed.

Boris Johnson has also stressed that the top Tier 3 – which currently covers Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, Lancashire and Liverpool – is having an effect.

Pubs and other places which don’t serve food, along with casinos, indoor soft play and some other businesses are ordered to close in the top level of restrictions.

Mr Hancock told BBC Breakfast today of the reports: “We’ve always said all along that we take nothing off the table.

“Having said that, we have seen the rise in the number of cases has slowed a bit.

“The problem is it’s still going up, and while it’s still going up we’ve got to act to get it under control.

“We rule nothing out but at the moment the three-tier system is what we’re working to and it’s effective in slowing the growth of this virus but it hasn’t brought this curve to a halt.”

A decision about the new restrictions could be made next month once ministers have analysed the effectiveness of the current three-tier system, according to inews.

Other options include a “tier three-plus” strategy and short-term local circuit breaker lockdowns in a bid to bring the R rate down below one, the newspaper reported.

Ministers and the Government’s top scientists have already admitted that the measures may not be enough to control the virus in the top danger areas.

But they’ve not said what else may be brought in on top.

The PM stressed again last week he didn’t want to bring in a national circuit-breaker lockdown like in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

He said the local approach was working and it wouldn’t be fair to apply such harsh restrictions to the whole country again.

Separate sets of rules exist between the tiers - and between different areas too