No London coronavirus restrictions planned, says Downing Street
Downing Street has said it is not planning any new London-specific coronavirus restrictions, despite speculation to the contrary.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said today that “no restrictions are currently planned” for London, but that “we will always keep it under review”.
Health secretary Matt Hancock imposed fresh restrictions in a string of areas in the North today – Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham – including a 10pm to 5am curfew.
Households will also now only be able to spend time with people that are in their designated “household bubble”.
The London director of Public Health England Kevin Fenton told the Evening Standard yesterday that similar restrictions could soon be implemented in London as cases rise in the capital.
The London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Hounslow, Havering, Enfield and Redbridge have seen particularly large spikes in coronavirus cases.
Fenton said that “limiting that you also limit the amount of time people are spending in close contact with others”.
Downing Street’s comments that there are no plans for such restrictions at this time will ease the fears of many who have railed against the idea of Covid curfews.