PRIME Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce details of what and how new guidelines about coronavirus will be implemented when the current period of lockdown ends on Wednesday, 2 December.

Then the second national lockdown was imposed Thurrock was graded in Tier One – in contrast to neighbouring Essex County Council-governed areas which had voluntarily been placed in Tier Two.

However, on the resumption it is expected the government will grade areas and there will be changes in the levels of restrictions imposed in each tier.

Mr Johnson will brief the nation this afternoon (Monday, 23 November) and it may not be until Thursday that Thurrock knows which tier it is in as further evaluations are undertaken. Mr Johnson has indicated that a number of areas that were in Tier One at lockdown may be lifted into Tier Two. That may include Thurrock which has seen an increase in infection rates and a number of additional deaths over recent weeks but the average locally is still below the national level.

Some of the things that are anticipated:

Gyms and non-essential shops will to be allowed to reopen when England's lockdown ends.

While parts of the tier system may be tougher, the 10pm closing time for pubs and restaurants will be relaxed.

And the ban on outdoor grassroots sport is also set to be lifted.

Mr John is also expected to announce that mass testing will be introduced in all tier three areas. Rapid testing with military support, as used in Liverpool, will form part of the stricter system.

Testing will also be rolled out for care home visitors across England from next month - with every care home resident able to have two visitors tested twice a week.

It means people who live in care homes will be able to hug relatives by the end of the year, the government has said.

More areas are set to be placed in the higher tiers - high risk or very high risk - after lockdown, No 10 has said.

The PM had hoped to announce arrangements for the Christmas period today, but this has been delayed until at least Tuesday to allow the Scottish and Welsh cabinets to agree the plans.

It comes after the government said the UK's four nations had backed plans to allow some household mixing "for a small number of days" over Christmas.

It has been reported that one option that was discussed in meetings this weekend was that three households could be allowed to meet up for up to five days.

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