Redbridge ‘should consider’ ban on households mixing

Redbridge’s overcrowding is one of the problems causing its spike in coronavirus cases, the leader of Redbridge Council has said, and a ban on people from different households mixing should be considered.

Redbridge had 58.6 new cases per 100,000 last week, making it the worst affected London borough. But the picture could be worse than that, Councillor Jas Athwal told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme on Monday, because it had lost 44% of its testing capacity due to issues at the national laboratory.

Cllr Athwal said he welcomed the introduction of fines for people who disregarded instructions to self-isolation following positive tests or who had been warned they had been exposed to people with the virus.

“We’ve all got to do our bit and the way to do our bit is to isolate and make sure we stop the spread from getting any worse,” he said.

Hear the full interview – Cllr Jas Athwal speaking to Mishal Hussein on BBC Radio Four. More details here.

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