6-people rule for social gatherings comes into effect in UK today as Covid cases spike

The UK has seen a surge of 10,000 new Covid-19 cases in the last three days, while the reproduction rate has jumped above the key level of 1.0, raising fears of a new wave.

London: A new restriction on gatherings to no more than six people both indoors and outdoors starts in the U.K. on Monday as coronavirus cases rise sharply and a prominent scientist warned of future lockdowns.

In the three days through Sunday the U.K. added more than 10,000 new Covid-19 cases, a pace not seen since May. The virus reproduction rate has jumped above the key level of 1.0, risking an exponential rise in infections.

Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said on Sky News’s “Sophy Ridge on Sunday” that the U.K. would face another national lockdown “in short order” if people didn’t stick to the new restrictions.

“If we don’t do this now we are going to be right back in hard lockdown,” Openshaw said. “We must act fast because it is so much harder to get this sort of thing under control if you delay.”

Some Britons braced for the latest restrictions by partying over the weekend, and central London was packed with groups of revelers. Police also broke up some large house parties, using new measures to fine one teenager in Nottinghamshire 10,000 pounds ($13,000) for hosting a gathering of more than 50, the Evening Standard reported.

‘Rule of six’

The new restrictions, known as the “rule of six,” and possible further measures if the virus continues to spread pose another potential blow to the U.K. economy, which is already facing its deepest recession for at least 100 years. The latest limits will affect the hospitality sector in particular, which the government tried to boost with discounts and subsidies for dining out during August.

The U.K. is one of a number of European countries experiencing a surge in cases after lockdown measures were eased and travel ticked up over the summer months. France confirmed more than 10,000 new cases on Saturday, the most since the country emerged from lockdown in May.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz warned citizens on Sunday that they are experiencing “the beginning of the second wave.” – Bloomberg

Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it

You are reading this because you value good, intelligent and objective journalism. We thank you for your time and your trust.

You also know that the news media is facing an unprecedented crisis. It is likely that you are also hearing of the brutal layoffs and pay-cuts hitting the industry. There are many reasons why the media’s economics is broken. But a big one is that good people are not yet paying enough for good journalism.

We have a newsroom filled with talented young reporters. We also have the country’s most robust editing and fact-checking team, finest news photographers and video professionals. We are building India’s most ambitious and energetic news platform. And have just turned three.

At ThePrint, we invest in quality journalists. We pay them fairly. As you may have noticed, we do not flinch from spending whatever it takes to make sure our reporters reach where the story is.

This comes with a sizable cost. For us to continue bringing quality journalism, we need readers like you to pay for it.

If you think we deserve your support, do join us in this endeavour to strengthen fair, free, courageous and questioning journalism. Please click on the link below. Your support will define ThePrint’s future.

Support Our Journalism