I am disappointed that the whole of Oxfordshire has been put into Tier 2 for when lockdown ends.
As you know, myself and the other Oxfordshire Conservative MPs did not want to see this happen when council leaders requested it in October given cases in much of Oxfordshire remained low and given the impact it would have on mental health, other physical conditions and on local businesses. I know that many people will be anxious about the impact the decision today will have on their family plans and on their businesses particularly hospitality businesses. Some of you have already written to me to say you do not support this move and I understand that.
Looking at the rest of the country only the Isle of Wight and Cornwall have been placed into Tier 1 and everywhere else is now in a minimum of Tier 2, with some areas like Kent moved up to Tier 3. Cases have fallen significantly across the county during this lockdown and you will see from the graph above that Oxfordshire also has fewer cases than most other areas in Tier 2 and so I want to see Oxfordshire put back into Tier 1 as soon as possible.
So please continue to follow the guidance and providing cases continue to fall I will continue to make the case for restrictions to be eased for the county. In the meantime, above is an at a glance view of what Tier 2 from 2nd December will mean.