London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on
Friday that another lockdown in London looks increasingly likely amid fears of a second wave of the coronavirus. Mayor Khan, after a meeting with local
authorities and government officials, said that there was concern that the
infection was spreading across the UK at an accelerating speed, making tougher
measures necessary.

“It is increasingly likely that, in
London, additional measures will soon be required to slow the spread of the
virus,” said Khan.

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“We will be considering some of the
measures which have already been imposed in other parts of the UK. I am of the
firm view that we should not wait, as happened six months ago, for this virus
to again spiral out of control before taking action,” he said.

He also confirmed that the capital’s famous
New Year’s eve fireworks on the banks of the river Thames, which attracts
crowds of over 100,000 every year, will not be going ahead this year.

“I can tell you there will not be fireworks at
New Year’s eve like there has been in previous years. We simply cannot have the
number of people who congregate on New Year’s eve congregating,” the Mayor
said.

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The number of cases per 100,000 people over
seven days is reported to have increased in London from 18.8 to about 25,
matching a countrywide spike in infections.

On Friday, a further 4,322 confirmed cases of
coronavirus were recorded – the first time the daily total of positive tests
has exceeded 4,000 since early May.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also
noted a “marked increase” in infections last week, with 6,000 people a day
catching the virus, double the number seven days before.