Hadleigh and surrounding villages are to move into Tier Four, the Government's highest level of Covid-19 restrictions, on Boxing Day.

The pace of growth in the infection rate is also a major cause for concern across Suffolk, with a 96% increase in cases in a week. Suffolk's current rate is 188 per 100,000 people. Two weeks ago this was 67 per 100,000. In the last week and Babergh cases have increased by 166%. Mid Suffolk cases have increased by 192% and West Suffolk 176%.

This growth puts pressure on Suffolk's hospitals which need to protect Suffolk's vulnerable residents whilst still treating non-COVID patients. There were 239 COVID patients in Suffolk hospital beds on 23 December 2020.

"The figures speak for themselves. This rise in cases, exacerbated by a more infectious variant, means increased pressure on the National Health Service and its partners, who are in the front line in the fight against Covid-19.

Chris Bally, Deputy Chair of the Suffolk Resilience Forum and Deputy Chief Executive of Suffolk County Council, said: "I would urge everyone to take these new restrictions very seriously.

"Whilst we are all disappointed in this announcement, we have shown tremendous fortitude and collective strength throughout this pandemic to do what is right, and follow the guidance so we can protect the most vulnerable and ultimately move beyond this.

"We know that with a vaccine already being rolled out across the country and with other vaccines are on the way so there is light at the end of the tunnel, but in the meantime, we must follow the Tier 4 restrictions to ensure we move to the lower tiers in the shortest time possible."

The new rules mean that you must not leave or be outside of your home or garden except where you have a 'reasonable excuse'. A reasonable excuse includes:

Work and volunteering.

You can leave home for work purposes, where your place of work remains open and where you cannot work from home, including if your job involves working in other people's homes.

Essential activities.

You can leave home to buy things at shops or obtain services from a business which is permitted to open in your Tier Four area, but you should stay local. For instance you can leave home to buy food or medicine, or to collect any items - including food or drink - ordered through click-and-collect or as a takeaway, to obtain or deposit money (e.g. from a bank or post office), or to access critical public services.

Fulfilling legal obligations.

You may also leave home to fulfil legal obligations, or to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum.

Education and childcare.

You can leave home for education related to the formal curriculum or training, registered childcare, under-18 sport and physical activity, and supervised activities for children that are necessary to allow parents/carers to work, seek work, or undertake education or training. Parents can still take their children to school, and people can continue existing arrangements for contact between parents and children where they live apart. This includes childcare bubbles.

Meeting others and care.

You can leave home to visit people in your support bubble, or to provide informal childcare for children aged 13 and under as part of a childcare bubble, to provide care for vulnerable people, to provide emergency assistance, attend a support group (of up to 15 people), or for respite care where that care is being provided to a vulnerable person or a person with a disability, or is a short break in respect of a looked after child.

Exercise and recreation.

People can also exercise outdoors or visit some public outdoor places, such as parks, the countryside accessible to the public, public gardens or outdoor sports facilities. You can continue to do unlimited exercise alone, or in a public outdoor place with your household, support bubble, or with one other person if you maintain social distancing. You should follow the guidance on meeting others safely.

Medical reasons, harm and compassionate visits.

You can leave home for a medical reason, including to get a COVID-19 test, for medical appointments and emergencies, to be with someone who is giving birth, to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm (such as domestic abuse),or for animal welfare reasons – such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment.

You can also leave home to visit someone who is dying or someone in a care home (if permitted under care home guidance), hospice, or hospital, or to accompany them to a medical appointment.

If you are planning to visit, or accompany someone to, a care home, hospice, hospital or other healthcare setting, you should check that this is permitted by the facility.

Communal worship and life events.

You can leave home to attend or visit:

a place of worship for communal worship

a funeral or event related to a death

a burial ground or a remembrance garden

a wedding ceremony.

However, weddings, funerals and religious, belief-based or commemorative events linked to someone's death are all subject to limits on the numbers that can attend.

Meeting others safely.

In general, you must not meet socially or carry out any activities with another person. However, you can exercise or meet in a public outdoor place with people you live with, your support bubble (or as part of a childcare bubble), or with one other person.

You must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble.

You can exercise or visit a public outdoor place:

by yourself

with the people you live with,

with your support bubble,

or, when on your own, with one person from another household.

Children aged under five, and up to two carers for a person with a disability who needs continuous care, are not counted towards the outdoors gatherings limit.

Public outdoor places include:

parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests

public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)

allotments

the grounds of a heritage site

outdoor sports courts and facilities

playgrounds.

You cannot meet people in a private garden, unless you live with them or have formed a support bubble with them.

You must wear a face covering in many indoor settings, such as shops or places of worship where these remain open, and on public transport, unless you are exempt.

Where and when you can meet in larger groups.

There are still circumstances in which you are allowed to meet others from outside your household or support bubble in larger groups, but this should not be for socialising and only for permitted purposes. A full list of these circumstances will be included in the regulations, and includes:

for work, or providing voluntary or charitable services. This includes picketing outside workplaces.

This can include work in other people's homes where necessary – for example, for nannies, cleaners, social care workers providing support to children and families, or tradespeople.

Where a work meeting does not need to take place in a private home or garden, it should not.

in a childcare bubble(for the purposes of childcare only)

for registered childcare, or for supervised activities for children where this enables a parent to work, seek work, attend education or training, or for respite care

education or training - meaning education related to a formal curriculum or training that relates to work or obtaining work

for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians

to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care

for prospective aopting parents to meet a child or children who may be placed with them

to place or facilitate the placing of a child or children in the care of another by social services

for birth partners

to provide emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm

to see someone who is dying

to fulfil a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service

for gatherings within criminal justice accommodation or immigration detention centres

to provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable, or to provide respite for a carer

for a wedding or equivalent ceremony in exceptional circumstances and only for up to six people

for funerals - up to a maximum of 30 people. Wakes and other linked ceremonial events can continue in a group of up to six people.

to visit someone at home who is dying, or to visit someone receiving treatment in a hospital, hospice or care home, or to accompany a family member or friend to a medical appointment

for elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) to compete and train

to facilitate a house move.

Support groups that have to be delivered in person can continue with up to 15 participants where formally organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support - but they must take place at a premises other than a private home. This includes, but is not limited to, support to victims of crime, people in drug and alcohol recovery, new parents and guardians, people caring for those with long-term or terminal illnesses, or who are vulnerable, people facing issues relating to their sexuality or gender, those who have suffered bereavement, and vulnerable young people, including for them to meet youth workers.

Parent and child groups can continue where they provide support to parent and/or child, and children under five will not be counted within the 15 person limit - meaning parents and carers can attend such groups in larger numbers. These cannot take place in private dwellings.

Where a group includes someone covered by an exception (for example, someone who is working or volunteering), they are not generally counted as part of the gatherings limit. This means, for example, a tradesperson can go into a household without breaching the limit, if they are there for work, and the officiant at a wedding would not count towards the limit.

If you break the rules.

The police can take action against you if you meet in larger groups. This includes breaking up illegal gatherings and issuing fines (fixed penalty notices).

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400. If you hold, or are involved in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of £10,000.