London is just “days away” from a lockdown that could see restrictions reimposed and commuters working from home, Sadiq Khan has said. The Mayor believes the capital could be just two or three days behind hotspots in the North West and North East of England. He has called on the Government to impose restrictions on bars and restaurants “sooner rather than later” and is planning to tell Londoners to work from home where people can. The number of cases per 100,000 people over seven days is reported to have increased in London from 18.8 to around 25, effectively an “amber” rather than “red” alert. However, other “soft data” such admissions to hospital and the NHS 111 line suggests that the capital is days rather than weeks behind other local lockdown areas. Officials from Department for Health and Mr Khan’s office met yesterday to study the data and thrash out a potential strategy. “On the back of this data, Sadiq thinks the Government should be bringing in more restrictions probably sooner rather than later. The emphasis on that is to avoid a damaging, full lockdown which risks the economy,” said a mayoral source. “The sort of restrictions that could make a difference in London involve similar ones to what we have seen in the North West and North East.” A spokesman for the mayor said: "The situation is clearly worsening. Sadiq will meet council leaders on Monday and any London-specific measures will be recommended to ministers following that. "The Mayor wants fast action as we cannot risk a delay, as happened in March. It is better for both health and business to move too early than too late." These have included curfews on pubs, restaurants and other leisure and entertainment venues between 10pm and 5am, hospitality for food and drink restricted to table service only and bans on socialising with other people outside their households or support bubbles. “It would possibly include a renewed work from home emphasis if you can. One of the reasons for that is that London has a higher proportion of people who can work from home than elsewhere in the country.” The source said Mr Khan and Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, were in regular contact although the London mayor is also pressing with other leaders including Nicola Sturgeon and Manchester’s mayor Andy Burnham for Boris Johnson to convene an emergency cobra meeting. Asked if Londoners could be told to work from home, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said: “I wouldn’t rule it out”. Mr Hancock said he was "very worried" about the latest data which suggested Britain could be on the same path as Spain and France - where deaths and hospitalisations are increasing - without effective action. Mr Khan told Labour's virtual conference on Sunday: "Unfortunately, and it gives me no pleasure to say this, we've all been catastrophically let down by the Government. "If ministers had risen to this moment, as the British public have, then the loss of many lives and much of the economic hardship could have been avoided. "These times called for a government that could put ideology, dogma and ego aside, and calmly and competently do whatever it takes to save lives and jobs. "Unfortunately, we got the exact opposite. Just when we required a steady, capable hand on the tiller, we've had a hapless government that keeps on steering us onto the rocks."
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