Boris Johnson's government has decided to reimpose on the capital, London, where nine million people reside (twelve if the metropolitan area is counted), the maximum level of confinement.
The skyrocketing increase in infections in the last week, which has registered 24,000 cases in the city, has convinced Downing Street of the need to reimpose the so-called
Tier 3
(level 3, very high alert) both in the metropolis and in some areas of southeast England such as Essex, Kent or Hertfordshire.
The measure, as reported by the Minister of Health, Matt Hancock, to a group of deputies from the affected districts, will take effect at midnight on Tuesday (one in the morning on Wednesday, Spanish peninsular time).
"The virus is doubling its contagion capacity every seven days in these areas, and not only among minors, but in all age groups," Hancock said in the House of Commons.
As explained by the minister, the health authorities have detected in the south of England a new variant of the virus that could be more easily contagious, although the cases registered (about a thousand) do not lead to the conclusion that the symptoms of the disease are more serious or that the variant cannot be stopped with the new vaccines.
It is not the first time that a mutation has been recorded since the pandemic began.
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Under the rules established by the British Government for level 3, restaurants, bars and
pubs will
have to close their doors again, a considerable blow for these businesses in the middle of a Christmas campaign in which they trusted to remedy part of the losses dragged during all year.
In the current situation, they could remain open every day until eleven o'clock at night, as long as the last command was not taken later than ten o'clock.
Groups of up to six diners could meet in the establishments, as long as they were not part of more than two convivial nuclei.
According to the new restrictions, they will only be able to maintain their food delivery service.
The stores will be able to remain open under the new level of restrictions, and the Government hopes to be able to sustain part of the recovery forecast for the end of the year with Christmas sales.
Major sporting events, such as soccer matches, will be held without an audience, just days after the government had given the green light to resume with limited capacity.
Cinemas, theaters, museums and art galleries will have to close their doors again.
Schools advance holidays
The “rule of six” will continue to allow groups with this cut-off number to meet outdoors, as long as they do not come from more than two households.
However, these types of meetings indoors are prohibited as of Wednesday.
Most London schools have brought the end of the term and the start of the holidays to this Monday, originally scheduled for next Friday.
The Government also asks the population not to travel outside their areas of residence.
"If the government makes this decision, it must take into consideration that it will be catastrophic for our hospitality industry, for our culture industry and even for our businesses," said Labor Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
"They must provide us with extraordinary help, beyond that already planned, to ensure that all these businesses do not go bankrupt," Khan asked.
During the week of December 2 to 8, with the registered data already reviewed and ready, the accumulated rate of infections in London was 225 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last week, compared to 166 cases throughout England as a whole.
Information about the coronavirus
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