Is London going into tier 3?

11 December 2020, 11:04 | Updated: 11 December 2020, 12:16

London Tier 3: is the capital going into lockdown Tier three, when could it move, and will it be before Christmas?

The rate of coronavirus has been on the rise in London, and there have been claims that the capital could be moved into Tier 3 next week.

London was placed into Tier 2 when England adopted the tiered lockdown system earlier this month, but the government is due to review each area in 16 December.

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Mayor Sadiq Khan previously warned: "If we don't all work together now, we may face tougher restrictions across the capital."

Here's what we know about the potential for London to move into Tier 2.

Will London move into Tier 3?

After London MPs met with health minister Helen Whately on Thursday (10 December), one MP told Sky News: "It was a very clear preparation for Tier 3. I think the decision is pretty much made."

According to latest figures, London now has the highest infection rate in the country, with 190 new cases a week per 100,000 people.

The number of Covid patients being admitted to hospital in London is rising, but is still far below the peak during the first wave.

According to reports, if London avoids Tier 3 before Christmas, some MPs believe it's likely it will be moved up before the New Year.

Read more: The areas in England that have recorded the biggest jump in coronavirus cases

Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham, said: "Teetering on the edge of Tier 3 is not where anyone wants to be.  

"Ministers must communicate clearly with Londoners and redouble their efforts to roll out the vaccine and a comprehensive strategy to test, trace and isolate every case of coronavirus to keep people safe."

According to the Telegraph, Professor Tim Spector of King's College London said that it would be a 'big mistake' to move the capital into Tier 3.

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He said: “I think it will be a big mistake if it goes into Tier 3. I think everyone should be coming down a tier and stay there until April and we see the vaccine taking effect.

“This on-off business is a total disaster. We should absolutely avoid it. Look at Wales, see all the problems that it causes. You can imagine the amount of drinking and festivities that are going to come if, you know, that in two days' time it’s more restrictions. We need a much more consistent pattern. 

“The whole point of tier systems is to protect the NHS and at the moment there is plenty of spare capacity. If you tell people the truth about what is going on in their area, and how full their hospital is, they will behave responsibly, rather than treating them like cattle.

“We should give citizens a bit more scope for them to act responsibly like they’ve done in Sweden and Switzerland. Time will tell who is correct but I suspect there won’t be huge differences across Europe.”

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