A day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the most drastic measures in London to stop the spread of the coronavirus strain in Britain, the capital’s main roads have been seen with a reduction in pedestrians and vehicles compared to the past few days.
Less than a month after the commercial opening after the blockade that ended on December 2, non-essential companies closed their doors again for at least two weeks, according to the prime minister.
Clothing stores, hair salons, gyms and other non-essential businesses were closed. While on the outskirts of supermarket chains were lines of people waiting to buy products.
Oxford Street and Piccadilly, known for their luxury restaurants and shops in London, also saw most of them closed.
Despite strict measures, people are allowed to go out in the parks and exercise alone or with a companion. “Outdoor sports are allowed,” the government said.
Dozens of people visited Kew Botanical Garden on Sunday morning, walking in pairs and without masks. The British government does not require the use of masks in public spaces.
Until now, the mask is only needed indoors, such as transportation or shopping malls, despite the fact that sometimes you can see people not wearing them in these places.
“We went to Kew Gardens and it wasn’t that it was packed, it was people. There was really no one with masks, here in public spaces people don’t wear a mask and I thought the street would be deserted, but that didn’t happen “, said Carmen Ramírez, resident in London.
While near the King’s Cross tube station a more active flow of people was observed, mainly families accompanied by children having fun outdoors.
After the “Tier 4” announcement, one of the traders in Camden Square told Listín Diario reporters that the new measures were unfair a few days before Christmas, as Johnson had reported weeks before between December 23 and 27 that it would be a window to visit. loved ones during the holidays.
“I can’t believe we just opened and we have to close already. How will we survive? Our business would survive the Christmas sales, because now if there are no meetings at Christmas, who will buy presents, “said the man, who learned of the information when questioned by Listín Diario reporters.
Measures announced on Saturday afternoon include a ban on meeting friends inside a house, closing restaurants and bars where they can only provide take-away and delivery services.
Likewise, the government is asking people to stay home before the new strain emerges, which experts say has a contagion capacity of up to 70% compared to the previous version. “You have to stay home and travel only for work, education and other legal reasons. If you have to travel “, indicate the new measures.
Since Sunday afternoon, countries such as Italy, France, Germany and Belgium have suspended travel to the United Kingdom to stop the spread of the coronavirus strain.
During Saturday’s press conference, the prime minister also indicated that in the rest of the country, Christmas measures that would allow people from a maximum of three different houses to be mixed would be in force only on Christmas day and not for five days. “As before, there will be no relaxation of the measures on December 31, so people cannot break the New Year’s rules,” Johnson added.
Images posted on social media on Sunday morning showed long lines and crowds at London train stations at the unexpected news of the non-primary travel restriction.
Faced with this situation, the British Transport Police (BTP), for its acronym in English, reported that the presence of the police will remain in the stations from 20 December.
Sean O’Callaghan, deputy police chief, said the government’s advice was clear and confident that people would abide by the measures.
“Anyone planning a holiday trip should consider between traveling and staying home after the government warning. This is a difficult time for all of us, but these restrictions have been taken to save lives, stop the spread of the virus and help the National Health Service, ”O’Callaghan reported.
The latest announcement indicates that more than two million cases of coronavirus have been reported in the UK, 1.7 million for England.