A sharp rise of coronavirus cases in Hertfordshire in December saw the county placed in a new Tier 4.

The November lockdown ended on December 2 and England returned to the Three Tier system, but with cases rising a fourth was introduced.

The measures in Tier 4 are effectively that of a lockdown and was placed in areas most affected by the spread of the virus.

A new variant of Covid has also been identified, which is more infectious and appears to be spreading much faster.

Hertfordshire, along with multiple areas across England, is currently in Tier 4.

Hospitals 'under pressure'

Meanwhile, Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, (CCG) said Watford General Hospital is looking after a "large number" of coronavirus patients, while West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust - which runs Watford General - has tweeted multiple times that its A&E department is "really busy" or "super busy".

Jim McManus, Hertfordshire's director of public health, has also warned the situation in hospitals at the moment is “worse than the first wave” and that the NHS is facing "extreme pressure".

Partner pays tribute to 'soulmate' who died at Radlett station

A woman who tragically lost her "soulmate" last month has recalled the "catastrophic" moment three years ago which changed their lives in an instant.

Eev Rhodes has paid tribute to her "most kind and creative" partner Robert Lent, who died at Radlett train station in November.

Eev said: "It was sudden and catastrophic and changed his life in an instant."

The couple had met two years before Robbie’s stroke – Eev said it was "almost love at first sight" when she met him while he was performing with his band JUKE in Rickmansworth in the summer of 2015.

Crew members on Mission: Impossible 7 quit

Five film crew members quit after Tom Cruise lashed out on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 to staff who appeared to ignore social distancing rules at Warner Bros Studios.

Leaked audio captured Cruise shouting at crew members that if they broke social distancing rules again, they’d be “f***ing gone,” as he warned that potential Covid-19 infections on set could hold up production.

Filming for Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 restarted at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden and other parts of the UK in July under strict coronavirus restrictions.