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London could enter a local Level 2 lockdown tomorrow to ban nine million people in the capital from mingling with other homes inside.
Mayor Sadiq Khan informed the capital’s health chiefs about the move after a meeting of the Joint Center for Biosafety yesterday.
He is also urging Downing Street to implement a substantial support package.
Going from “medium” to “high” would prohibit Londoners from mixing with other homes indoors, even in pubs and restaurants.
The Mayor of London has sought clarity on provisions made for businesses, support for vulnerable Londoners and test and trace efforts in the capital, even for those who are self-isolating after warning that the city is on the brink.
The meeting was chaired by Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Medical Director Chris Whitty, and an announcement could be made on Friday.
He also saw recommendations for much of the North West and North East and much of Yorkshire and the Midlands to be placed at Level 3 “very high”.
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Boris Johnson is understood to be considering a version of a nationwide two-week total ‘circuit breaker’ lockout that scientists say could save thousands of lives if his tiered system fails.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer broke ranks Tuesday to demand new national restrictions to prevent the country from “sleepwalking into a long and bleak winter” as infection rates soared.
The drastic move could be scheduled to coincide with the English schools semester starting October 26.
However, a compromise could make urban areas with higher numbers of cases subject to temporary additional measures, The Times reports.
This would allow the prime minister to continue his regional approach and not appear to bow to Sir Keir.
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Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and senior adviser Dominic Cummings are said to be among those urging Johnson to consider a full shutdown before the end of the month.
However, Chancellor Rishi Sunak warned that even a minimal nationwide shutdown will put companies out of business and disrupt the economy.
While scientific advisor Graham Medley cautioned that it is too late for a circuit breaker lockout to be fully effective.
In a letter to Johnson, Khan said that as the infection rate in London was “rapidly approaching” 100 cases per 100,000, it was “likely” that the capital would go to alert level 2 as soon as this week.
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“It is vital that London has the resources to engage, explain, encourage and enforce the increased restrictions and support compliance,” Khan said.
“A London borough has done specific work to estimate the cost of providing that service for six months starting in November and it is £ 300k above the recent allocation to councils to support compliance.
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“I am aware that these are discussions that have taken place with other areas that have had restrictions and the London government would hope to have those discussions as well.”
Khan said the capital’s “unique circumstances” should be reflected in focus and support.
He added: “The capital was particularly affected during the first wave with many of our communities, and particularly the BAME community, suffering disproportionately.
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“In addition, many families live in overcrowded accommodation and face high levels of homelessness and poor sleep.
“Our size and density present specific challenges, the economic case for protecting businesses in the Central Business Zone being overwhelming.”
Among the requests, Khan called for clarity on the provisions that would be made available to companies and warned that hundreds of thousands of jobs remain at risk in the capital.
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He said it was “critical” that the government resolve Transport for London’s (TfL) funding position, and called for a network package.
In addition to seeking clarity on support for vulnerable Londoners, the Mayor called for an immediate increase in testing capacity, as well as a “redoubled” efforts to ensure testing for staff and residents.
“I will continue to urge Londoners to be vigilant, follow the rules and exercise caution,” he said in the letter.
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“I accept that these new measures will have an impact on businesses and Londoners, but we have a joint responsibility to work together and do what we can to control this virus and save lives.”
The mayor has previously insisted that London as a whole should move towards higher restrictions despite variable rates across the capital.
Meanwhile, Johnson has urged Sir Keir to persuade northern leaders to join the prospect of severe local restrictions during a heated Commons debate.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, a former member of Gordon Brown’s Labor cabinet, backed a national circuit breaker over other local measures.
It comes after news that Northern Ireland will enter a brief period of intense lockdown starting at 6pm Friday, including the closure of schools for 15 days and of pubs and restaurants for a month after reporting 1,217 new cases on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Welsh government is poised to introduce a ban on arrivals from areas of Britain with high infection rates after Prime Minister Mark Drakeford expressed disappointment that Downing Street failed to impose a border closure.
One hundred thirty-seven more deaths and 19,724 new infections were reported in Britain on Wednesday.
And another 680 patients were admitted to hospital with the virus, bringing the total in the past seven days to 4,576.
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