Sadiq Khan calls for review of England’s 10pm curfew
Sadiq Khan has called for an immediate review of the government’s 10pm curfew in England as he claims it may be driving coronavirus rates up.
Scenes emerged on social media over the weekend of packed Tube stations and people congregating on central London pavements just after 10pm as the government’s new curfew came into place.
Some have speculated that the measure will have the opposite effect of bringing down the cases as it forces people to leave venues en masse.
Khan said the capital was at “a very serious tipping point in the spread of this virus”.
He added: “Given the scenes we’ve seen across the UK of people gathering and drinking on the streets once licensed premises close, the government should carry out an immediate review of the effectiveness of this measure, including assessing any unintended consequences of increased social mixing in other settings after 10pm.
“It is also absolutely essential that our clubs, theatres and other venues get access to extra emergency financial aid as long as the restrictions remain in place.
“With many venues still unable to open, Londoners’ livelihoods are dependent on it.”
Boris Johnson today said he was willing to impose harsher measures if coronavirus cases continued to rise as another 7,108 Covid cases and 71 deaths were recorded today.
The daily death count was the highest since 1 July.
The Prime Minister also made it clear that he was not willing to take a more laissez faire approach to Covid restrictions in an apparent rebuke to rebels in his own party that are concerned about the economy.
“I know some people think we should give up and let the virus take its course despite the huge loss of life that may entail,” he said.
“I profoundly disagree. I don’t think the British people want to throw in the sponge, they want to fight and defeat this virus.”
Rumours have swirled this week that more restrictions are on the way for London, with ministers set to hold talks next week over plans to introduce sweeping lockdown measures.
Just six of London’s 32 boroughs currently have infection rates below the threshold of 20 cases per 100,000 used by the government to introduce quarantine measures on other countries.
Two London boroughs now have infection rates higher than the England average, according to the latest official data.