Boris Johnson shuts down London as Europe death toll hits 500,000

Boris Johnson has announced a ‘stay at home’ order for London to combat a winter surge from a new, more infectious Covid strain.

‘Heavy heart’: Boris Johnson explains that Christmas cannot proceed as planned. Picture: Getty Images

Millions of people in England and Italy will celebrate Christmas under tough new coronavirus restrictions as Europe battles a winter surge including a more infectious new strain.

Europe has become the first region in the world to pass 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic broke out a year ago, killing more than 1.6 million worldwide and pitching the global economy into turmoil.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a “stay at home” order for London and southeast England to slow a new coronavirus strain that is significantly more infectious.

Early data suggests the new strain could be “up to 70 per cent more transmissible,” Mr Johnson said at a televised briefing on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

He ordered new restrictions for London and southeastern England from Sunday, saying “residents in those areas must stay at home” at least until December 30.

The measures will mean about one-third of England’s population cannot travel or meet other households for Christmas.

The aim of the new rules is to slow the spread of the new strain to areas where it is not yet prevalent.

Italy, one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus, will be placed under new restrictions over the Christmas and New Year periods, according to a government decree published late on Saturday.

Under the new measures, already announced by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte late on Friday and coming into effect from Monday until January 6, the whole of country will be classified as “red” – the highest level of restrictions.

“Our experts fear that the infection curve will increase during the Christmas period,” Mr Conte said.

Andreas Michli, a London gym owner renowned for breaking Covid regulations, is arrested on Saturday. Picture: AFP

Mr Conte conceded that the authorities did not have the means to ensure the measures were adhered to, but he asked Italians to respect a new limit to the number of people who meet and host only two adult guests at home.

Food shops, hairdressing salons, pharmacies, tobacconists and laundries as well as bookstores will, however, remain open.

Mr Conte specified that the confinement would be relaxed on December 28, 29, 30, as well as on January 4, when shops would be able to remain open until 9pm and people would be allowed to move about freely.

Italy has 60m inhabitants and one of the oldest populations in Europe. More than 68,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the country since the start of the pandemic.

Mr Johnson and his scientific advisers warned the public that the virus could now spread much faster than previously and that existing measures were not enough to control it.

It was a dramatic step-up after Mr Johnson said last week that it would be “inhuman” to “cancel Christmas” by banning family gatherings, though he urged people to have small celebrations.

“It is with a very heavy heart I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned,” he told the nation. “Alas, when the facts change, you have to change your approach.”

The announcement came as Britain has suffered rising cases and hospital admissions this month. “This virus has taken off, it’s moving fast, and it’s leading inevitably to a sharp increase in hospital admissions,” said Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser.

On Saturday there were 27,052 new cases in the UK, slightly less than on Friday.

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford also announced new restrictions from Sunday, with festive “bubbles” – limited gatherings of selected contacts – allowed only for Christmas Day.

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a ban on travel to other parts of the UK for Christmas and said families in Scotland should mix only on Christmas Day.

People in Northern Ireland are set to enter a new lockdown after Christmas.

Under the new lockdown measures that take effect from Sunday morning, those living in the most severely affected areas will be advised not to go to areas with lower restrictions under the country’s tiered system, and not to stay overnight. They can still travel for work, however.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the capital “faces its toughest Christmas since the war,” referring to World War II.

The business community criticised the measure, with Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, warning that “many thousands of jobs could be at risk”.

Sir Patrick said the new coronavirus strain “contains 23 different changes”, including variants associated with how the virus binds to cells and enters cells.

By the week beginning December 9, the new strain was accounting for 60 per cent of cases in London, he said.

“We think it may be in other countries as well,” he said.

AFP