Tier 2 lockdown go into effect in London from midnight on Friday

Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Welfare, has announced that Tier 2 lockdown will be imposed in London from midnight on Friday. The cause is the incessant increase in Covid-19 cases in the city. With this increase in measures, it is intended to stop the worsening of the pandemic, Hancock said.

By revealing the new repressions, the Health Secretary has encouraged Londoners to collaborate to stop the infections. He also praised them for their efforts in the spring to combat the first wave of the virus that claimed thousands of lives. "Now we all have to play our part to get it back under control," Hancock said.

What will the Tier 2 restrictions entail?

The measures will come into force from 00.01 on Saturday and will mean:

Ban on mixing between homes indoors, including in pubs and restaurants.

The rule of six will continue to apply outdoors, as will the 10 p.m. curfew for the hotel industry.

People can continue to commute to work or access education using public transportation. Still, they should try to reduce the number of trips they make "whenever possible."

Matt Hancock has stated that infection rates in London are on a "steep way up." Likewise, confirmed cases double every 10 days.

In turn, confirming the new restrictions for Essex, Elmbridge, Barrow in Furness, York, North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield and Erewash, the Secretary of Health has expressed his opinion to the parliamentarians. “I hate the fact that we have to level up, but it is essential that we bring them in, to keep people safe and prevent further financial damage in the future. I did not go into politics to put restrictions on people's lives… but the nature of this virus means that any of us can pass it on without knowing it, ”Hancock said. Without suppressing the virus, the UK cannot return to the economy it had.

“We must act now. Acting later will mean more deaths from Covid. It means more financial pain in the future. We make these decisions with the sole objective of leading our nation through troubled waters. Things will get worse before they get better, but I know there are brighter skies and calmer seas ahead, ”Hancock told MPs.

The city-wide restrictions, backed by Mayor Sadiq Khan, have been announced after 11 districts recorded more than 100 new cases in a week per 100,000 residents, according to official figures. In a statement at City Hall, Khan said: “I must warn Londoners that we have a difficult winter ahead. Despite this, as we have always done throughout the great history of our city, I know that we will overcome this dark time before working as a team "
The world of hospitality will be greatly affected

In this way, business owners have reacted with dismay to the announcement of Level 2. They have warned that bars and restaurants are going to get stuck in "the worst of all worlds." Ros Morgan, CEO of the Heart of London business group, has this in mind: “Key sectors for the UK economy, such as hotels, should not have to close without strong scientific evidence from the government that these places are responsible for a marked increase in transmission and an increase in cases ”.

At the same time, Conservative MP Nickie Aiken, who represents the cities of London and Westminster, has called for additional support for the capital's businesses. "While I appreciate the public health crisis in which we find ourselves, I remain deeply concerned about the impact that a greater blockade will have on the capital's hotel, leisure and retail businesses," she said.

Given these events, the Government has explained the situation. “In terms of London obviously it has several different boroughs, but we need to reduce infection rates. We introduced the tier system earlier this week so that people could see more clearly what the restrictions are. We are determined to reduce the infection rate and we believe this is the best way to do it. "
However, the scale of the Covid-19 crisis in London is still well below that of the hotspots in the North and Midlands.