LONDON ‘IS FACING JOBS MELTDOWN’
Fears for economy as city moves into toughest tier
London will be placed into Tier 3 restrictions from midnight tonight despite warnings of catastrophic job losses and economic Armageddon.
Matt Hancock said he was forced to act after the number of coronavirus cases in parts of the capital and surrounding areas started doubling in a week.
He said London will go into Tier 3 alongside parts of Essex and Hertfordshire in a bid to slow ‘sharp, exponential rises’ in infection across all ages.
It means 61 per cent of England’s population – more than 34 million people – will be placed under the highest restrictions. Some 21.5million will be in Tier 2 and just 700,000 in Tier 1.
The news was greeted with horror by London MPs and business leaders, who said it would prove a hammer blow to the economy. UK Hospitality has warned 150,000 jobs could be at risk if the capital’s pubs and restaurants are to close.
Mr Hancock took action after figures showed 24,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in London in the past week, with cases rising in every borough.
It came as the Government announced that a further 232 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Monday, while there were a further 20,263 lab-confirmed cases.
Mr Hancock said the increase in the SouthEast could be related to a new strain of coronavirus.
‘over the past week we’ve seen very sharp, exponential rises in the virus across London, Kent, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire,’ he said.
‘We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant, but no matter its cause we have to take swift action which unfortunately is absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is rolled out.
‘In some parts of these areas the doubling time is about every seven days. This isn’t just about rising rates in school age children any more but in all age groups including the over 60s.
‘We know from painful experience that more cases lead to more hospitalisations and sadly the loss of more of our loved ones. Hospitals across the capital, Essex and Kent are already under pressure. We know that this doubling of cases will be mirrored in hospital admissions and it only takes a few doublings for the nHS to be overwhelmed.’
The Health Secretary said along with London, south and west Essex (Basildon, Brentwood, Harlow, Epping Forest, Castle Point, Rochford, Maldon, Braintree, Chelmsford, Thurrock and Southend-onSea) and southern Hertfordshire (Broxbourne, Hertsmere, Watford and Three Rivers) would be placed in Tier 3.
‘ I know that for businesses affected, it will be a significant blow,’ he said. ‘But this action is absolutely essential to keep people safe and because we’ve seen early action can help prevent more damaging and longer-lasting problems later.’
But former Tory leader Iain duncan Smith said: ‘In my borough, the local hospital maintain the infection rate is almost exclusively secondary school children passing on to their parents, the two least at risk groups. And so the hospitals are not overcrowded.
‘Tier 3 will hammer down on hospitality – they will shift back to their homes, off licenses selling alcohol late in the evening.’
Felicity Buchan, Conservative MP for Kensington, asked why it was that Essex had been divided into Tier 2 and 3 areas while London was being treated as one.
‘In central London our cases are significantly below the national average,’ she said. ‘Central London is the powerhouse of our national economy.’
Bob neill, Tory MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, said the imposition of Tier 3 would have a ‘crippling effect’ on the hospitality sector in his area.
Robert Halfon, the Tory MP for
Harlow in Essex, which is going into Tier 3, said: ‘Local hospitality businesses are on their knees.
‘How will further restrictions curb the disease when cases increased in Harlow during the second national lockdown? In Harlow there have been no rates of increase in the over 60s.’
London mayor Sadiq Khan supported the move to Tier 3, saying: ‘This is incredibly disappointing for our businesses who have suffered so much already this year. But it’s clear the virus is accelerating in the wrong direction once again across London.’
He added: ‘The increase in the virus is caused by children aged ten to 19 catching it and passing it on. I don’t see many children in pubs, bars and restaurants.
‘If it is the case that the government moves us into Tier 3 they must provide additional support.’