The Labor Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced Monday evening the cancellation of the festivities planned in the British capital for the New Year, in the face of the drastic increase in cases of the highly contagious variant Omicron.
“With Covid-19 infections at record levels in our city and across the UK, I am determined to (...) do everything possible to slow the spread of the new variant and ensure that our services (public health) are not overwhelmed this winter, ”
the mayor of London said in a statement.
Read also Covid-19: what do we know about the dangerousness of the Omicron variant?
"This means that we will no longer be having this 6,500-person celebration scheduled for Trafalgar Square on New Years Eve,"
he announced.
"It will be very disappointing for many Londoners, but we have to take the right steps to reduce the spread of the virus."
Instead,
"a spectacular show broadcast live"
on the BBC,
"celebrating our city and highlighting the highlights of 2021, will be the centerpiece of New Year's Eve celebrations in London,"
the statement said. town hall.
In doing so, London is following in the footsteps of Paris, which announced on Saturday the cancellation of the fireworks and concerts planned on the famous avenue des Champs-Élysées, or even in Morocco, which prohibits the organization of parties in places reception and instituted a curfew between midnight and 6 a.m. According to the authorities, at least fourteen people infected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have so far died and 129 are hospitalized in the United Kingdom, one of the countries already among the most affected by the pandemic in Europe with more than 147,000 dead (+44).
On Monday, the country recorded 91,743 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, leaving Britons divided between worried demanding more restrictions and those who say they are clearly hostile to their impact on the economy.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that he
“would not hesitate to take
more restrictive
measures”
to stem the spread of the Omicron variant, without however proceeding with the turn of the screw demanded by some.
“Right now we want people to focus on being careful,”
he added, citing ventilation and wearing a mask.
