Christmas lights in Oxford Street praise ‘2020 NHS Heroes, kind strangers and neighbours’, celebrating London as one city in its diversity and one heart beating for its whole community. (video taken on Nov 4th 2020)

London, 11 Nov – In the capital infection rate is lowering down to 152 cases out of 100.000 people, while in Northern England the Covid alarm is still high: in Manchester 781 per 100K, in Birmingham 306 per 100K while in Liverpool alarm is still high with the army deploying 2K troupes to help deliver a massive test and trace program.

In 21 out of 32 London’s boroughs infections are below alarm level so businesses are asking to shorten lockdown in order to stop the ongoing huge damage to the economy. Where big companies announced thousands layoffs, small ones are simply closing permanently.

London Chamber of Commerce launched the appeal to stop lockdown earl y before the downturn becomes irreversible. “We should come out as soon as the figures allow us to do it” e representative told BBC, suggesting a return to the regional tier approach.