Statement from the Leader of Kingston Council following announcement of new Tier 3 restrictions

Despite the effort and commitment of many to follow the rules, we have seen a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases in Kingston and across London, which means it’s now necessary to introduce these tougher restrictions.

At the end of a difficult year, while many are preparing to celebrate Christmas, the tightening of local restrictions will be disappointing news for us all, but it’s important we each do what we must to slow the spread.

This news is particularly disappointing for Kingston’s hospitality industry, who have worked hard over the last few months to adapt their businesses to follow the changing guidelines and keep Kingston residents safe. To help them through this period we are continuing to offer support to eligible businesses with grant funding support.

Christmas may feel quite different this year. For those celebrating the festive season, it will still be possible to create a Christmas bubble of up to three households between 23 - 27 December to help bring families together. However, we must all remember to consider the risk of large celebrations, and how we can best keep each other safe.

There is some good news to be celebrated. The rollout of our local vaccination programme means we have started work to protect our eldest and most vulnerable residents. In time, this will help us all to return to a more normal routine but for now we must continue our efforts to keep each other safe.

Thank you for all that you have done this year to help Keep Kingston Safe. Together we will slow the spread of the virus, and protect ourselves and those we care about.

Cllr Caroline Kerr
Lead of the Council