"I fear government will lift lockdown prematurely for economic reasons," says London Mayor
3 April 2020, 16:57
"I fear government will lift lockdown prematurely for economic reasons"
London Mayor opens up to LBC about his fears that the government will lift lockdown prematurely.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is concerned that the government will lift the lockdown prematurely "for reasons that aren't health-related."
He explained that he is worried about "the pressure there is within government and on them to try and lift lockdown too soon."
"I've spoken to some of the world's leading health experts, scientific experts...the most effective thing we can do to stop this virus spreading is stay at home. It really is as simple as that," Mr Khan said, "I've not seen any evidence that lifting lockdown can be done successfully if it's done prematurely."
The London Mayor said what the UK needs to do during the weekend of good weather is to stay inside. He reminded the public that even when we're over the peak, the lockdown cannot be lifted instantly and we cannot just go about our normal lives.
It is important to question why government are making certain decisions to ensure these decisions are made with the interests of health and not economy, he said.
"Important though it is, our priority has to be to save lives," Sadiq Khan said, referring to 13 year old boy Ismail Abdulwahab who died with the virus on Monday, "What is the price of a life?"
He also referenced the five doctors and nurse who risked their lives saving others and asked, "What's the cost benefit analysis in that?
"You judge a society not by pounds and pence...but how we treat the most vulnerable."
