London despairs at new Covid rules as northern England regions rebel

London (CNN)Londoners have expressed confusion and doubt over coronavirus lockdown restrictions announced Thursday that will affect millions living in the city.UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the capital would move from the Tier 1 “medium” alert to Tier 2 “high” alert level from Saturday, urging London residents to support government efforts to suppress the spread of the virus. Pubs and restaurants already had a 10 p.m. curfew under Tier 1, but the new rules mean Londoners will be banned from mixing with other households indoors in any setting. Outdoor gatherings will be limited to six people and people are advised to avoid using public transport where possible.

Schools, places of worship and businesses can remain open, leading many to question the restrictions.”I’m fed up,” Rebecca Duncan, a 39-year-old from south London, told CNN. “It’s like one thing starts to open up and life starts to seem slightly normal and then something else comes along and pushes us all back.”She called the new rules “ridiculous,” saying she could still go to the gym, get a massage or sit next to strangers in a cafe but couldn’t mix with anyone from another household. Duncan said she supported businesses staying open, but she was having to cancel a meal out with five friends next week. “The restaurant will lose out, as will the taxis and trains and other associated businesses. Not being able to socialize will have a knock-on effect far greater to business — I won’t get my hair done, buy that new top, have a manicure.”

Liverpool, in northwest England, was the only region placed in the “very high” Tier 3 alert level when Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed the three-tier Covid Alert system across the country on Wednesday. Tier 3 restrictions can vary but in Liverpool, pubs and bars must close unless they are operating as restaurants; gyms, betting shops and casinos must also close; weddings with more than 15 guests are not permitted, and people are advised to avoid travelling into or out of their local area where possible.

The county of Lancashire agreed to enter Tier 3 on Friday, but local leaders in the city of Manchester are locked in a standoff with the government after they rejected a move to put the area into the highest alert level. The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said in a statement on Thursday that the government’s “flawed and unfair strategy” was asking local authorities to “gamble our resident’s jobs, homes and business and large chunk of our economy on a strategy that their own experts tell them might not work. “In a BBC interview on Friday morning, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged Burnham “to do the right thing by the people of Manchester,” accept the support package being offered by the government and move to Tier 3.