London will be placed in Tier 2 of Boris Johnson's new coronavirus restrictions when the current national lockdown ends on December 2, it has been revealed

The capital will join Liverpool in being spared stricter Tier 3 rules, a decision that will come as a relief to many in the hospitality sector.

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Matt Hancock made a statement in the House of Commons on the new COVID-19 tiers, but prior to the announcement the government launched a postcode checker for England's regions.

And a number of cities will be placed into the highest level of restrictions, Tier 3, when the current lockdown ends.

These include Kent, Bristol, Manchester, Hull, Birmingham, Newcastle and Wolverhampton.

Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been placed in the lowest tier 1 set of restrictions.

Matt Hancock spoke as he confirmed the fate of millions of people across England, at least for the next few weeks, saying "these are not easy decisions, but they have been made according to the best clinical advice."

In his statement in the House of Commons, the health secretary said: "Thanks to the shared sacrifice of everyone in recent weeks, in following the national restrictions, we have been able to start to bring the virus back under control and slow its growth, easing some of the pressure on the NHS.

"We will do this by returning to a regional tiered approach, saving the toughest measures for the parts of the country where prevalence remains too high."

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The tiered system has been strengthened since the original rules were in place before lockdown, with many more areas in the higher tiers in a bid to keep infection rates down.

In Tier 2, households will not be allowed to mix indoors apart from in support bubbles, while a maximum of six people can meet outdoors. There will be a one hour extension on the curfew for pubs and restaurants