Sadiq Khan warns more Londoners ‘will die’ if people leave their homes
Sadiq Khan has told Londoners that more people will die from coronavirus if they do not follow the government’s instructions and self-isolate.
The capital has been the worst hit region in the UK by the spread of Covid-19, accounting for almost 40 per cent of the country’s 5,018 confirmed cases.
Speaking to BBC today, Khan told Londoners they were putting people’s lives at risks by not following instructions to stay inside.
The latest UK death toll from Covid-19 is 244.
“We’re a global city, with huge densities, with huge connectivity,” Khan said.
“I discovered last Monday that things are as bad as they are in London – we’re weeks ahead of the rest of the country.
“I’m quite clear – if we don’t keep our social distance, people will die.
“Unless people stay at home, unless people stop using public transport unless it’s essential, unless people stop interacting with each other, more people will die.”
Boris Johnson wrote today to 1.5m people who are at high-risk of dying from coronavirus to stay at home for 12 weeks.
The government also moved to close down all restaurants and pubs on Friday, while maintaining instructions for people to stay at home unless they were classified as essential workers.
Essential workers include medical staff, police, transport workers and supermarket staff.
The government will also enact emergency legislation next week giving power to police to detain people who do not self-isolate.
Speculation was rife last week that London was heading for a complete lockdown, with no travel in or out of the capital.
A government spokesperson on Thursday said there was “zero chance” of this happening, while Khan appeared to pour cold water on the idea today.
When asked about the prospect of the Tube shutting down, Khan said it was vital it stayed open in a limited capacity for health workers to get around.
Transport for London (TfL) restricted weekday public transport to a “Saturday-type service” this week.
“I’m keen to make sure pubic transport is available for critical workers, who need public transport to get from home to work and work back to home,” Khan said.
“We’re trying to make sure there are sufficient Tubes and buses so people aren’t overcrowded.
“We’ve enhanced the cleaning regime in all the TfL estates.”