London Mayor Sadiq Khan joins calls for review of 10pm curfew as he warns curb is 'counter-productive'

'It is now clear that the scientific evidence for bringing in the policy was limited'
Sadiq Khan has called on ministers to review the restriction
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Ross Lydall @RossLydall8 October 2020

Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for an urgent review of the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants, saying it appeared to be “counter-productive” and causing an increase in Covid infections.

The number of diagnosed new cases in London rose by 394 yesterday to 1,310 – the third highest daily regional rise in the UK.

It is more than the number of daily new cases in Scotland, where pubs and restaurants will be forced to close from Friday in a bid to control the spread of the virus.

Mr Khan, in an update to the London Assembly yesterday, said: “My view is that the 10pm curfew not only doesn’t appear to be reducing the increase in this virus, but could be counter-productive.

“I have been lobbying the Government to try to review this 10pm curfew.”

He told the Standard today: “It is vital that the Government carry out a review of the 10pm curfew rules as a matter of urgency. It is now clear that the scientific evidence for bringing in the policy was limited, and we continue to see the unintended consequence of increased social mixing in other settings after 10pm.

“This includes worrying pictures of people gathering in the streets and forced to crowd onto public transport together as venues close early.

“At the same time many of our pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues are on the brink of collapse as their revenues are reduced even further, without financial support from Government.

Coronavirus: Pubs and Restaurants 10pm Curfew

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“To control the spread of this virus, the Government need to heed the advice of local leaders and respond quickly when the evidence shows their policies aren’t working and could in fact be counterproductive.

“The Government should accept that the 10pm curfew rules isn’t achieving what it was hoped to and could be doing more harm than good."

Mr Khan said he had been in close contact with Public Health England and London borough leaders about the curfew and the rising infection rates in the capital . He has also spoken with Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick in the last week.

The Mayor said that because of problems with the availability of Covid testing, PHE was using data on calls to GPs and the NHS 111 non-emergency helpline, hospital admissions – including to intensive care – and antibodies in blood donors to assess the extent of the pandemic in London.

He said testing availability in London had fallen by 43 per cent between August and September.

Mr Khan said: “The bad news is that the virus does appear to be increasing in our city. The sort of silver lining is that we aren’t near the levels that we have seen in other parts of the country.”

He said that while some boroughs, such as Redbridge, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Richmond, were seeing bigger rises than others, such as Bexley, Bromley and Sutton, there was a preference for the capital to be treated as one area in the event of any lockdown to keep the rules as simple as possible.

“We are keen to go as one London,” the Mayor told the assembly. “The Government is keen for us to go as one London.

“The idea of having a restriction in one borough but not in another borough, when people often travel from home to work, or may go to a restaurant in another borough, or to visit family – you can imagine the complications if that were to happen.”

Mr Khan had last month backed the idea of a 10pm curfew as part of a package of measures, such as greater use of face masks and encouraging more people to walk, to control the pandemic.

Shaun Bailey, the Tory mayoral candidate, said today: “Just a few days ago, Sadiq Khan attacked the government for not introducing a 10pm curfew. Now he’s attacking them for introducing it.

“The fact is that London’s businesses need support. They don’t need a Mayor playing political games.”

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