Londoners are to be banned from socialising with other households indoors from midnight on Friday evening in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus in the capital, health secretary Matt Hancock announced on Thursday.
Mr Hancock told the House of Commons that London will enter the government’s tier 2 “high alert” of tighter restrictions and that talks with leaders of northern cities were continuing over whether to move them into tier 3, the highest alert level.
The health secretary said that infection rates were on a “steep upward path” in the city and doubling every 10 days — with the number of cases now at 97 per 100,000 people.
The latest data indicate that 13 out of 32 London boroughs recorded more than 100 cases per 100,000 in the week ending October 8 — seen as a “trigger threshold” by ministers.
Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, told a session of the London Assembly earlier on Thursday that the capital was at a “critical moment” in its fight against coronavirus.
“Hospital admissions are up,” Mr Khan said. “More patients are going to intensive care and, sadly, the number of Londoners dying is increasing again.”
Other areas entering tier 2 on Friday night include Essex, Elmbridge, Barrow-in-Furness, Erewash, York, Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire, Mr Hancock announced.
“I know that these restrictions are difficult for people, I hate the fact that we have to bring them in — but it is essential that we do bring them in both to keep people safe and to prevent greater economic damage in the future,” he said. “The threat remains grave and serious.”
Mayors and council leaders in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire and north-east England are calling for greater financial support before joining Liverpool city region in the “very high alert” level, which sees the closure of pubs, gyms and other leisure businesses.
The government wants their agreement but could act unilaterally. A call with local leaders including Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, and MPs in the area ended without agreement on Thursday morning.
Ministers have offered to pay 66 per cent of the wages of people whose workplaces are closed, but nothing for supply chain businesses, taxi drivers and others who could also suffer a drop in trade.
Mr Khan told assembly members he was pressing for greater financial support for London businesses to overcome the effect of the new restrictions. He said he was also asking for a short, national “circuit breaker” lockdown across England.
Living under tier 2 restrictions means people cannot meet anyone outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting — whether private homes or pubs and restaurants.
Residents would also be encouraged to cut the number of journeys they make and avoid public transport as much as possible.
Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of lobby group London First, gave the decision a cautious welcome. “If tough action now means we can save lives and avoid a more severe lockdown later, then businesses in the capital will hope that these short-term measures will prevent worse to come,” she said.
“But for firms just starting to get back on their feet, these further restrictions will come as a severe blow. Transparency over how any measures are expected to reduce transmission and when they will be lifted as rates fall will be crucial for building confidence.”
Ms Whitbread said the government must use the period of tighter restrictions “to fix the track and trace system and put in further support for those businesses unable to trade, including extending business rate and value added tax reliefs”.
Recent polling by YouGov found that 68 per cent of those surveyed would support a circuit breaker during the October school half-term.
In an interview with LBC this week Mr Khan ruled out suggestions that different boroughs could be subject to varied restrictions, a policy favoured by some Conservatives, arguing that a collegiate approach was simpler and more practical.
“What I was keen to avoid was some boroughs having additional restrictions that other boroughs didn’t because that could lead to all sorts of complications and confusions that we wanted to avoid,” he said. “I am really pleased to say, working collegiately with councils and Public Health England, we want to go as one.”
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2020-10-15 11:16:00Z
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