London is set to met to move into further Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, as it was reported that from Saturday, the capital is moving into Tier 2 of the Government’s three tier system.
This means that households outside individual support bubbles will no longer be able to mix indoors, whether that’s at home or in public places such as coffee shops or pubs.
Londoners have also been advised to minimise their usage of public transport and avoid peak hours if at all possible.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan had said that this move was ‘inevitable’ earlier in the week, and penned an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, calling for more financial support for those in the capital who need it.
Crucially, schools and universities can remain open, as can other businesses not already forced to close by law such as nightclubs.
The “Rule of Six” continues to apply in private gardens and outdoor venues, meaning that households can continue to mix in pub gardens, public parks and other public areas.
London has been in the Tier 1 or “Medium Risk” category since the system was introduced, but will be moved into the Tier 2 “High Risk” category at midnight on Friday night.
The London-wide average infection rate was 78 new cases per 100,000 people in the week to 9 October, but there are signs that it is still climbing since then.
Twelve London boroughs including Richmond are above the 100 cases per 100,000 threshold, but doubts remain over the accuracy of these measurements, as Richmond’s numbers were claimed to be wrongly inflated.
This rate is still exponentially lower than the 659 cases per 100,000 experienced by Liverpool, which is currently the only UK city in the third tier of lockdown, and it is hoped that the increased restrictions will prevent London heading the same way.
Government guidance on Tier 2 Covid-19 restrictions can be found here.
