London prepares to lower the curtain | The capit …

London is heading into a new phase of drastic social and economic restrictions to deal with the accelerated spread of the coronavirus, which is already affecting almost every part of the city. “The upsurge in coronavirus cases in our capital is of deep concern,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in an official note.

Boris Johnson’s government is expected to announce on Wednesday the outcome of the first review of the level of restrictions, which was introduced regionally in England in early December, after a month-long lockdown was concluded. The decision on London – which would go to the maximum range of restrictions – could materialize in the coming hours. It would be the third lockdown of the practice London has faced since the spring.

“The economic impact on businesses can be catastrophic, with the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people at risk,” added the mayor, who asked the central executive for financial and logistical assistance.

Level 3 of “very high alert” implies the closure of the hotel and gastronomy sector, with the exception of take-out establishments. In addition, it obliges to lock down museums and galleries, cinemas and theaters, bowling alleys, bingo halls and other cultural and entertainment establishments.

The government has rejected the possibility of introducing a more localized coronavirus control system and the revision of the level of increase in positive cases in London would affect the 32 city districts and their nearly ten million inhabitants.

Johnson has prioritized face-to-face education in classrooms since the end of the first lockdown in May, and his Downing Street spokesperson said on Monday that “there was no plans “to amend the guidelines in this regard.

Greenwich City Council, in the south-east of the capital, was the first city authority to challenge the Tory executive and ordered schools in its area to be closed and online services provided from tomorrow. “I wouldn’t if the risk weren’t extreme, but the numbers are rising so fast it’s clear we need to act,” District Chief Danny Thorpe wrote to parents and teachers. Greenwich’s decision is approved by the main education union.

In the UK, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland are following their own criteria for restrictions in the face of the pandemic. The deal is a partial lift for the holidays between December 23 and 27.

Britain has recorded 1,854,490 infections, placing it sixth in the count of countries around the world, with a total of 64,267 deaths with the same position in the death record table.