Met Police have issued a statement to Londoners following yesterday’s announcement that the capital will be plunged into a new tier 4 lockdown category.
Because of the new announcement yesterday, as of today (Sunday, 20 December) everyone in London will need to stay at home.
Households will not be permitted to meet over the Christmas period, unless a support bubble already exists which means that Christmas has been theoretically cancelled for millions of people across the capital.
Police have described this as a ‘critical moment for the city’ and that officers across London will be paying ‘particular attention to those groups who have wilfully ignored the rules, putting communities and lives at risk’.
Met police have also said that patrols will be prioritised in high footfall areas of the capital as well as those areas of London were the virus is spreading rapidly, including Harrow which is well above the national average.
Commander Alex Murray, said: “I know Londoners will be deeply saddened by the news that the planned relaxation of the rules over the Christmas period has been scrapped. The news on the virus spread is stark and deeply concerning, and we must all now take immediate action to prevent the spread by staying at home and keeping ourselves safe.
“Across the city, officers will be deployed to take action against those people whose selfish action risks jeopardising the health of Londoners.
“Likewise, we will continue our joint enforcement with London’s 32 local authorities – clamping down on those businesses that also flout the rules and put health at risk.
“Our fight against the virus is not over. The rules are very clear and our collective actions in the next two weeks will have a direct impact on how quickly our city will recover.
“If people ignore these new rules, make reckless decisions that risk lives, I make no apology for the subsequent enforcement action that will follow.”
