The Mayor of London, , said:
“The Government has decided to move London into Tier 3 from one
minute past midnight on Wednesday morning. This is incredibly
disappointing for our businesses who have suffered so much
already this year. But it’s clear that the virus is accelerating
in the wrong direction once again across London and the lives of
Londoners are at risk. It would be such a tragedy to lose even
more people to this disease when the vaccine is now being rolled
out across our city.
“We know from bitter experience that when cases start to rise
quickly, it’s much better to act early, rather than too late.
This is how we can avoid even tougher restrictions, for longer,
further down the road.
“The worst thing for London’s businesses and our economy would be
yet another full lockdown in the new year. That’s why I urge
Londoners to follow the Tier 3 rules that the Government is
putting in place very closely so that we can drive down infection
rates as much as possible.
“This means hospitality settings, such as bars, pubs, cafes and
restaurants are required by the Government to close except for
takeaway, delivery and click and collect services. You must
continue not to meet other households indoors and to keep to the
rule of six while outside.
“I don’t want London to be in Tier 3 for a day longer than
necessary. I am hugely concerned about the negative impact that
the additional restrictions will have on jobs and many businesses
that are already struggling to stay afloat.
“We now urgently need much more government support for the
sectors of our economy that are being hit the hardest, including
hospitality, culture, and leisure. It is crucial that Ministers
urgently put in place a compensation scheme for all lost income,
based on last year’s returns, for any businesses affected by the
further restrictions during this crucial festive period. The
Government must also cover the full cost of Statutory Sick Pay
for workers who have to self-isolate, and make wearing face
coverings mandatory in busy outdoor public spaces.
“We have known from the outset of this pandemic that increased
testing will be vital to getting the spread of the virus under
control. That is why I have called on the Government to extend
regular asymptomatic testing to all those unable to work from
home and to London’s students and staff at secondary schools,
sixth-form colleges and FE colleges.
“It is essential that the Government ramps up testing in schools
and colleges immediately as this is where the virus is spreading
most. If this does not happen, Tier 3 will not only cause huge
damage to our hospitality and cultural industries, but the virus
will just continue to spread over Christmas at a time when
families may well be meeting up and our NHS is under pressure.
“Given the significant increase in infections among 10 to
19-year-olds – Government should consider asking secondary
schools and colleges which don’t yet have testing facilities to
close early and to reopen a bit later in January to allow time
for weekly testing to be put in place.
“The vaccine provides some light at the end of the tunnel, so
let’s not fall at what could be the last hurdle. So I’d encourage
all Londoners to adhere to the new Government rules so that we
can save as many lives as possible, support our NHS and protect
our economy.”
