The UK capital of London will move into tier 2 of the government's new three-tiered COVID-19 alert system from Saturday due to a recently observed surge in new cases, Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th October, 2020) The UK capital of London will move into tier 2 of the government's new three-tiered COVID-19 alert system from Saturday due to a recently observed surge in new cases, Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Thursday.
The decision was taken after officials observed a steady increase in the number of people in London with the disease requiring hospitalization and treatment in intensive care, the mayor said.
"That is why, following discussions between me, ministers and our city's senior health advisers and council leaders, the Government will move London into tier 2 restrictions - alert level high - from the start of Saturday," Khan said.
The new measures will mean that members of different households will no longer be allowed to mix in indoor spaces, including pubs and restaurants. Additionally, Khan urged Londoners to limit the number of journeys they make.
Khan added that the failure of the UK government's NHS Test and Trace contact tracing service had also contributed to the new measures being needed.
"There are no good options. I know these further restrictions will require Londoners to make yet more sacrifices, but the disastrous failure of the test, trace and isolate system leaves us with little choice," Khan wrote.
According to data compiled by the official mayoral website, 8,152 new cases of COVID-19 were registered in London from October 1-7, compared to 4,998 new positive tests observed in the previous week.
Across the whole of the UK, 19,724 new positive tests for COVID-19 were registered on Wednesday, a new single-day record and an increase of almost 2,500 on the figure from the day before. The country's case total now sits at 654,644.
