Minister confirms you cannot trick or treat in tier 3 areas

Families living in ‘very high risk’ areas have been told they it is not safe to trick or treat this year.

Downing Street confirmed that trick or treating could go head as long as it follows local restrictions.

They confirmed that those living in tiers one and two could take part in the tradition if they used ‘common sense’. 

However, Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi told LBC, that tier three restrictions outdoor meetings and therefore puts trick or treating off limits. 

He said: “If you are in tier one and tier two – tier one you can trick or treat, just remind everybody that the rule of six still applies, so if you go and knock on someone’s door, you can’t go in if there are more than six people.

“If you’re in tier two then you can’t socialise inside somebody’s home, so you’d have to probably stand outside that home and that is the way you can enjoy trick or treating.

“Sadly, in tier three, you can’t, because it is the areas where we have the highest level of infections.”

When asked if this meant Halloween is effectively ‘cancelled’ for tier three residents Mr Zahawi said: “It’s a tough thing but the highest level of infections – Warrington is at 361 infections per 100,000, that is very high, we need to bring it down.”

Yesterday the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesperson said trick or treating was allowed if people follow the local rules and ‘use common sense’.

They said: “The rules are those which apply to household mixing in general and what that means in practice is if you in a Very High alert level then you cannot mix with other households indoors or in private outdoor spaces.”

“If you’re in a High Covid alert level then the Rule of Six applies in private gardens and outdoor spaces but households must not mix indoors.

“And in terms of the Medium alert level, you can meet indoors and outdoors in groups of no more than six people. The rules are there for all circumstances and people will have to use their common sense in ensuring they are following the rules.”