The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:  “This announcement by the Government of a full national lockdown was inevitable. It is unclear why it took Boris Johnson so long to reach this

conclusion. The virus is out of control and our NHS is increasingly at risk of being overwhelmed by an exponential rise in cases, with COVID admissions to hospitals now significantly higher than at any time during this pandemic.

“The new variant of the virus is spreading quickly –  the only way to get the virus under control is a full national lockdown, as well as the Government taking every step possible to rapidly accelerate the vaccine programme. I continue to call on the Government to make wearing masks mandatory outdoors when in queues, streets and other crowded spaces outside. To limit the risk of new variants spreading, we need more rigorous testing and quarantine rules put in place at our borders and airports. It is also crucial that greater financial support is provided to businesses, the self-employed and those self-isolating which is still woefully insufficient. 

“Tonight’s announcement means more difficult weeks ahead for our city. Londoners have already made huge sacrifices, but once again I urge each and every Londoner to follow the rules. Stay at home, protect the NHS and help to save lives.”