Strict Tier 3 restrictions in North Somerset will be lifted on Saturday after a promising reduction in coronavirus cases.
Bristol and North Somerset are among only a handful of Tier 3 areas to be deemed safe enough to loosen restrictions in the run-up to Christmas.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock addressed the House of Commons this morning (Thursday, December 17) to confirm the results of a tier review, which will determine the restrictions in local authority areas until the end of the month.
Businesses including restaurants, cafes, bars and indoor entertainment venues like theatres will finally be allowed to reopen, and residents will be allowed to meet people in their private gardens again if they stick to the rule of six.
Like neighbouring Bristol and South Gloucestershire, North Somerset has been in Tier 3 since December 2, following the second lockdown.
The three areas were grouped together by the government in the initial review due to their geographical proximity and the "work corridor" relationship between them.
Mr Hancock said in the Commons that the "vast majority" of Tier 3 areas will remain in Tier 3.
He said: "As we enter the coldest months, we must be vigilant and keep this virus under control.
"We've come so far, we mustn't blow it now.
"Across the world, cases are rising once more."
He said "no one wants tougher restrictions any longer than necessary".
Swathes of the South will be plunged into fresh Tier 3 measures from Tier 2, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Portsmouth.
Bristol and North Somerset were named specifically by Mr Hancock as two areas allowed to be downgraded, as a result of improvements in figures.
Read reaction and all the latest tier news through our live blog here
It was revealed earlier this morning that Mr Hancock was only expected to make minor changes to the allocations, ahead of the Christmas easing of measures.
Both Bristol mayor Marvin Rees and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham predicted that Tier 3 areas would not be downgraded, even if their figures suggested they were deserving of it.
They are among those who feel that the tier allocations have not been eased as a result of the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas, which Boris Johnson has refused to back down on despite fears of more infections.
