Boris Johnson said he “will not hesitate” to take further steps to protect Britain from the coronavirus pandemic, as his government considered whether to implement stricter measures to enforce social distancing in London.
“We will do the right measures at the right time,” the prime minister said at a press conference on Wednesday evening, when asked if he would put London into lockdown.
The capital is the centre of the UK COVID-19 outbreak, official figures have shown this week.
Johnson said the government would “keep everything under continuous review”, as he appeared to prepare Londoners for the possibility of more drastic measures in the days ahead.
“We live in a land of liberty,” the PM said, but added: “We will rule nothing out.”
“We will not hesitate to take further measures to go further and faster if necessary.”
BuzzFeed News understands that further proposals for how to enforce social distancing in London have been under discussion at the top of government on Wednesday.
No final decision has been taken, a source said.
There are concerns that the virus is spreading particularly quickly in the capital and that people are not sufficiently following the advice of the government’s medical experts to avoid unnecessary social gatherings.
Despite the PM’s call for the public not to visit pubs and restaurants on Monday, many across London and the wider country have continued to head out for social gatherings.
A strictly enforced lockdown has been implemented in Italy and France.