Following a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in London, the capital was moved into the High level of alert last week, with new tier 2 restrictions coming into force across the capital from midnight on Friday 16 October.

Boroughs are working with their communities, business and the police to engage, educate, explain, and if necessary enforce restrictions and regulations.

A key element of the new restrictions is that we must not meet socially with friends and family indoors in any setting unless we live with them or they are part of a  support bubble.

Further information about the new restrictions, including information about which business can remain open and childcare are available here.

London Councils Chair Cllr Georgia Gould said: “The London boroughs stand together with Londoners in the fight against Covid-19, and we are working together with the Mayor and the government to balance the public health, economic and social impacts of this virus. London Councils and the Mayor are asking the government for economic support for London’s businesses and the boroughs to ensure that these new measures are a success.

“Now is the time to pull together to beat the virus so that ultimately we can get our city working again and back to its creative and energetic self as soon as possible."

Following her election as the new Chair of London Councils at last week's Leaders' Committee, Cllr Georgia Gould said her top three priorities are coronavirus, council finances and London’s social and economic recovery.

“I can’t think of a time when local leadership has been more important in the capital", she said. "With London’s coronavirus rates rising and the economic and social impact of the pandemic affecting so many Londoners, it’s vital that London boroughs pull together to protect and support our communities and struggling businesses, and make our voices heard at a regional and national level.

“With London boroughs collectively facing a funding gap of up to £1 billion this year alone due to our unprecedented coronavirus response and existing budget pressures, ensuring councils have the financial resources and stability to support communities through this challenging period is critical.

“Even as we take action to deal with the pandemic, as Leaders we must also look to London’s future. The pandemic has starkly exposed the deep inequalities in our communities, and to truly recover from it, we need to build a fairer society and economy, and a more sustainable and caring city. There is no challenge London faces that is beyond the creativity and capacity of Londoners to fix, and as Chair, I will be proud to work alongside Leaders and the Mayor to harness our shared energy to build back better in the months and years to come.”

A range of policy measures to improve air quality in the capital are being backed by London Councils.

The organisation is calling on government to make the World Health Organization (WHO) target for PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) a legal limit, to be met no later than 2030 and introduced as soon as is possible.

Other measures being backed include additional regulatory powers for local authorities to control emissions; a review of fuel duty and other relevant taxes to align with better air quality and environmental priorities; and a national Clean Air Fund to enable cities to implement Clean Air Zones and tackle emissions,

Polling to coincide with Clean Air Day 2020 found that 43 per cent of Londoners said poor air quality in the capital had had a negative effect on their own health.

Chair of London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee, Cllr Claire Holland, said: “London’s air quality continues to be a major public health issue. It is imperative we listen to Londoners and do not emerge from the Coronavirus public health crisis only to face a different crisis resulting from London’s toxic air pollution.”