SOUTHAMPTON will remain in tier 2 restrictions but other areas of the county will be placed into tier 4, Hampshire County Council has confirmed. Boris Johnson’s u-turn last night put millions of Christmas plans into chaos with new restrictions brought into areas of the county including Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport. But while Southampton remains in Tier 2, the rules around gathering at Christmas have still changed. Three households will be allowed to mix, but only on Christmas day, and these gatherings must not involve people from a Tier 4 area. The Prime Minister announced that from Sunday areas in the South East currently in Tier 3 will be moved into a new Tier 4 – effectively returning to the lockdown rules of November.