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.

Representational image | Diners at a restaurant in London, UK | Bloomberg

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