Under the new rules, designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, all bars and restaurants are now required to close by 10pm each night. However, posts on social media suggest this uniform finishing time could have forced large numbers of people onto the streets at the same time boosting the coronavirus risk.
Kirsty Lewis, who works in the House of Commons, posted a video of packed central London streets on her Twitter account.
She said: “10pm curfew just meant everyone rolling out onto the streets and onto the tubes at the same time and it was the busiest I’ve seen central London in months”).
The footage shows large numbers of people gathered around Oxford Street at 10:34pm.
Under Government coronavirus advice people are advised to remain two meters away from each other where possible and at least one meter at all times.
London streets were packed after the 10pm curfew (Image: Twitter/@kirstylewis6)
“Can easily imagine how that led to extra spread” (Image: GETTY)
Speaking to Express.co.uk Ms Lewis said: “Everyone poured onto the streets. I guess most people were probably socially distanced from other groups, just by the nature of normal distances you tend to keep. But I can imagine it was an issue as they all tried to crowd onto tubes.
“Also, I know that a lot of people were discussing going back to their houses or flats for more drinks instead, where they would have just usually stayed out in the bars or restaurants later.
“Can easily imagine how that led to extra spread.”
A number of Twitter users posted their outrage at the situation in response.
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Revellers packed London’s Soho on Thursday night (Image: GETTY)
One commented: “Many people predicted this to be fair.”
Another added: “Closing times of pubs were extended to avoid the issues of a town centre full of drunks on the streets all at exactly the same time. The Government are morons.”
A third said: “Yep! Definitely turned 10pm into a rush hour rather than the usual evening trickle.”
The new restrictions were imposed after the UK saw a dramatic increase in the number of coronavirus cases.
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A 10pm closing time for pubs and restaurants came into effect on Thursday (Image: GETTY)
New measures were introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 (Image: GETTY)
On Thursday another 6,634 cases were announced, the most in a single day since mass testing began.
An additional 40 deaths from coronavirus were reported across the UK.
Bars and restaurants have been restricted to table service and those who can are being urged to work from home under the Government’s new guidelines.
Appearing on BBC Breakfast Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the restrictions are a “recalibration which we hope and believe will be enough to check the spread”.
He added: “We’re not going back to the sorts of measures that we had in the spring.
“If people can work from home they should.
“But I stress that it’s very important that those people whose jobs require them to be in a specific workplace do so.”
Plans for some fans to return to stadiums for live sport have also been put on hold.
Police in London enforce the 10pm closing time (Image: GETTY)
Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s chief scientific advisor, warned earlier this week Britain could see 50,000 new COVID-19 cases a day by mid-October unless action is taken.
He noted this would lead to a daily death toll of more than 200 by the middle of November.
A number of major outbreaks have taken place in universities across the UK.
Students in Scotland have been asked not to visit pubs or restaurants this weekend in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus.
