Boris Johnson cancels Christmas for London and southeast England
Iran Press TV
Saturday, 19 December 2020 6:05 PM
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has effectively cancelled family Christmas celebrations in the capital London and across the entire south east of England.
In an apparently arbitrary move the PM has placed London and all of the population of south east England into a new Tier 4 level of Covid-19 restrictions, which is tantamount to a full lockdown, effective from tomorrow (December 19).
The Tier 4 measures mean that all non-essential shops, gyms and hairdressers will close, with people required to stay at home unless they are required to be physically present in their work places.
Most crushing of all, people living in Tier 4 areas will no longer be allowed to form "Christmas bubbles" with other households.
In yet another blow, people living outside southeast England have had their planned five-day easing of restrictions over the festive period limited to a single day only.
"Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned", the PM announced at a Downing Street news conference on Saturday (December 19).
The new strain – known as VUI-202012/01 – has been blamed for the rising infection rates in London and the south east of England.
According to Johnson, the new strain of coronavirus could be up to "70% more transmissible", and the situation had given him "no alternative" but to toughen up restrictions.
However, the PM has failed to provide solid scientific proof to back up all his claims about the new strain and for that reason alone his decision to ruin Christmas for millions of people in the South East is bound to attract fierce political opposition.
The Tier 4 measures in the South East will apply for an initial two-week period, with a review due on December 30.
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