London will re-implement tighter public health restrictions starting Friday night as a coronavirus outbreak sweeps through the city, and stock markets are reacting negatively to the news of increasing cases in Europe and the United States, Reuters reports.
Health officials will elevate the public health warning from “medium” to “high” in London and the adjacent Essex County, meaning that people cannot socialize indoors with members of another household. Travel restrictions are also recommended but not mandatory.
“Things will get worse before they get better,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. “But I know that there are brighter skies and calmer seas ahead – that the ingenuity of science will find a way through and until then we must come together.”
The increased restrictions in London follow a similar move in Paris, which is also seeing a spike in new coronavirus cases.
Market indices were in the red across the board Thursday as record numbers of coronavirus cases were reported in many states and across Europe, fueling fears that a second wave during the late fall would lead to more fatalities and tougher economic times. Investors are also wary of the fact that negotiations for a US federal relief plan are at a standstill.