Partial closure in London, UK plans nationwide closure

The rumor had been around for days, but the official announcement only came today. To cope with the rising number of coronavirus infections, London will once again be on lockdown starting Saturday, along with Essex, Elmbridge, Barrow-in-Furness, York, North East Derbyshire and Erewash. The British capital where more than 9 million people live since midnight on Friday will pass the alarm of Level 2 (of 3) and this means that Londoners will no longer be able to meet in closed places, whether public or private, but only on the air free, where the “rule of six” will continue to apply.

Restaurants and bars that comply with the new and strict regulations on physical distancing may remain open, always with a curfew at 10 p.m., but only people who live in the same house may sit at the table. Schools, universities and places of worship remain open, as well as weddings and funerals are allowed, but with a limit on the number of participants. It is also recommended to avoid unnecessary travel and public transport, especially during peak hours.

“Nobody wants the restrictions, but they are necessary” because “the virus is spreading rapidly in all parts of our city and hospitalizations and ICUs are constantly increasing,” said the mayor of London. Sadiq khan, which has agreed on the measures with the government of Boris Johnson, after coronavirus infections have reached 97 per 100,000 inhabitants and continue to grow. “Time and time again, it has been shown that it is better to act sooner than to act too late, which would cost more lives and damage more livelihoods. I am not willing to risk the lives of Londoners, and we must do everything we can to minimize economic damage, ”declared the Labor mayor, who has always been in favor of prudence and a hard line against Covid-19.

“We must act now to avoid the need for stricter measures in the future,” said the Secretary of State for Health. Matt hancock, announcing the intervention to the Municipalities. “Local action is one of the best weapons we have,” he added, but Keir Starmer’s Labor is now pressuring the government to listen to the opinion of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), the government’s advisers on the pandemic. , who would like a two-week national lockdown to vigorously stop the spread of infections and prevent the spike. An eventuality that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi SunakHe would like to avoid it at all costs, as it “would cause unnecessary damage to parts of our country where the spread rates of the coronavirus are low.”

Last week, the government introduced a three-tier system to put the country at different levels of restrictions based on the percentage of infections, but now requests for experts to be heard are increasing, especially after 18,980 infections have been recorded. in the last 24 hours. and 138 victims. But Johnson wants to try to find a compromise, both to save the economy and not to let the opposition win, which would make him look weak.

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