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Images of crowded streets of Soho have appeared on Twitter, with some users welcoming the idea of a last night before the strict restrictions go into effect A Twitter user said: “Last night before the last lockdown, London was almost silent
« Tonight was wonderfully dynamic and optimistic opinion is changing, and I hope this is the last time we will be here
« Young, liberal and moderate people are perfectly capable of spending safely – and we just need that ?! »
They will last until December 2 although ministers have warned that an extension cannot be ruled out
Central London pubs, bars and restaurants are setting up tables outside to accommodate as many customers as possible while complying with coronavirus restrictions
Speaking to The Telegraph, Camilla Mary-Rose said she asked for a vacation off so she could have one last day to eat out
She said: « I took the day to visit favorite restaurants and say goodbye, I guess, to what could be the rest of the year I guess, and eat the things I can’t. not cook at home «
Met police tweeted they were closing reception facilities after the 10pm curfew before the second lockdown began
He writes: « Bars, pubs and restaurants are now closed. Now is the time for everyone to go home safely
« Officers will continue to patrol #London tonight to explain the rules and encourage everyone to return home »
Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty echoed ministers’ warning earlier this week, saying the lockdown expiration date was not final
In a meeting with the Commons science committee, Professor Whitty hinted that the newly introduced lockdown could be extended beyond December 2
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He said: « It is almost impossible to set exact dates on these things. Neither Patrick, nor I, nor anyone who advises the government would say that it will definitely happen on that date
« I think the people who give this level of certainty did not understand modeling like this, with the uncertainty of the scenarios, works fine »
He stressed the importance of introducing a lockdown now with the R rate rising rapidly, risking adding pressure on the NHS
Professor Whitty said: « Inevitably, if you stay above 1, even quite low, once you reach a high level of bed usage you have very little free space.
« So a tiny R can change you from I’m just about to face I’m not facing
« We look forward to the fact that the most difficult time for a respiratory virus is during the winter months
« We barely touched on them, so the chances of things suddenly improving without action between now and the next few months are pretty low
A friend is at Heathrow today heading for Washington I think he’s cracked up, but his daughter is in her first term of college there, and doesn’t want to come home early to lock, despite the prospect of trouble Her parents, meanwhile, have this narrow window to go out and see her
Meanwhile, London’s roads came to a halt as thousands of motorists intended to leave the capital before restrictions went into effect, forming 1,200 miles of queues and at least 2,624 traffic jams, according to data collected by TomTom
Heathrow Airport has reported ‘longer than usual’ queues and a ‘busy day’ on the eve of England’s second lockdown
In a statement on its official Twitter account, the airport wrote: « Today is a busy day at the airport with many people traveling to see friends, family and loved ones at the foreigner
« As a result, we are also encountering longer queues than usual that our teams are working on »
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Lockdown, Coronavirus
World News – UA – London CHAOS lockdown as thousands flee stranded capital as punters crowd pubs
