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Protesters participating in an anti-blockade rally in London have been urged to abide by public health regulations and warned that violence will not be tolerated.
The rally will take place in Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park later today when additional coronavirus restrictions go into effect across the UK, affecting more than a quarter of the population.
The new rules include a ban on gatherings of more than six people and a curfew in pubs and restaurants; must close at 10 pm
The United Kingdom yesterday recorded its highest number of coronavirus cases in a single day, with 6,874 laboratory-confirmed cases.
The ban on homes mixing with each other went into effect at midnight in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds.
It spread across Northern Ireland earlier this week. There was a record 273 Covid-19 cases reported there yesterday, bringing the total number of cases to 10,223.
Cardiff and Swansea will enter a local lockdown starting at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow, the Government of Wales has confirmed.
People will not be allowed to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. They won’t be able to meet inside with anyone they don’t live with, with the extended homes suspended.
The total number of people living under stricter rules in the UK will rise to 17 million.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there had been an “acceleration of Covid-19 cases across the country, especially in the Northwest and Northeast.”
“Working together with our scientific and public health experts and local leaders, we are prepared to take swift and decisive action to reduce the transmission of the virus and protect communities.”
Today’s protest in London will take place a week after another event in which more than a dozen officers were injured when a “small minority” attacked police and more than 32 arrests were made.
The Metropolitan Police said it had been interacting with the organizers throughout the week to remind them of their legal obligations and explain that the events could violate coronavirus regulations.
While protests are exempt from the rule of six that is in effect in England, organizers must submit a risk assessment and comply with social distancing.
Commander Ade Adelekan, who leads the Met’s operation, said that while there is “great frustration” over the regulations, a large protest at noon could put the health of the protesters and their contacts at risk.
He said: “I know there is great frustration with these regulations, but they have been designed to keep everyone safe from what is a deadly virus.
“By flagrantly gathering in large numbers and ignoring social distancing, you are putting your health and that of your loved ones at risk.”
Elsewhere, Manchester Metropolitan University students at two accommodation sites in the city were instructed to isolate themselves for 14 days following a surge in coronavirus cases.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge world leaders to overcome their differences and unite in the battle against the coronavirus in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly later today.
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