WORCESTERSHIRE will be under tier 2 restrictions as the national lockdown ends and the regional three-tier system returns.

Tier two rules ban households from mixing indoors and the rule of six applies to people meeting outside.

This means you cannot meet up with people you do not live with or people who are not in your support bubble at pubs and restaurants.

Pubs and restaurants can close at 11pm but can only serve alcohol with a “substantial” meal.

All shops will be allowed to re-open with many taking up the opportunity to open 24 hours between Monday and Saturday.

Indoor entertainment venues, such as cinemas, casinos and bowling alleys, can open, but must close at 11pm.

Theatres will also be able to welcome guests back outdoors at 50 per cent capacity or 2,000 people. Indoor performances will have attendance capped at 1,000.

Sports fans will be allowed to return to stadiums in limited numbers.

Decisions on tiers were based on Public Health recommendations based on case detection rate in all ages but particularly in the over-60s; how quickly rates are rising or falling, the number of positive cases and current and projected pressure on the NHS locally.

The Department of Health said Worcestershire had been placed in tier 2 because the number of cases was still too high to be placed in tier 1 and hospital admissions had stabilised enough to reduce the need of being placed in tier 3.

The government says the system will be regularly reviewed and the county’s tier level could change before Christmas.

The first review is set to take place on December 16.

THE KEY RULES IN TIER 2:

• No household mixing indoors

• Rule of six applies outdoors

• Pubs and restaurants will close at 11pm but last orders will be 10pm

• Alcohol can only be served with a “substantial” meal

• Spectators allowed at sports events and live performances in limited numbers