London facing HIGHEST tier of Covid restrictions within 7 days over infection rates, mayor warns

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has issued a plea to citizens to “follow the rules”, as the city faces being placed in Tier 3 in next week’s restrictions review, after Covid infection rates rose in 24 out of the city’s 32 boroughs.

Khan and MPs have urged London’s nine million residents to follow social-distancing guidelines or risk the introduction of stricter measures, after official figures showed the seven-day infection rate to December 3 in nine boroughs was more than 200 new cases a week per 100,000.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock addressed the situation on Wednesday by warning that, based on the current trends, the government is on the brink of having to introduce stricter measures in the capital in order to effectively limit the spread of the virus. 

The London mayor responded to the figures by warning that “If London were to go into Tier Three it would be catastrophic to those industries already really crippling under the Covid pandemic.” 

While London was initially put into Tier 2 when England’s country-wide lockdown was lifted on December 2, the city’s current level of restrictions is up for review next week, just days before relaxed Christmas rules are set to come into effect.

The concerning situation for London has emerged after the UK heralded the start of its nationwide mass vaccination campaign. While the government hasn’t said how many people will receive the jab this year, the country is expected to receive four million doses before the end of 2020.

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