London and Essex will be put into Tier 2 lockdown at midnight on Friday as the Government attempts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the move was “necessary” for the capital, which he said would soon reach an average of 100 cases for every 100,000, people, with six boroughs over that threshold.
Meanwhile, health secretary Matt Hancock has also confirmed that Essex will move into Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions after request from leaders in the county.
However, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea, as Essex's two unitary authorities, will not fall under the same measures.
Tier 2 is deemed 'high' in the new 'traffic light' system announced by the prime minister this week.
It means that people living in London and Essex will have to follow tighter restrictions including not being allowed to meet those from other households indoors.
Other restrictions include following the rule of six when outdoors, and travelling out of the area is discouraged by the Government.
In a letter posted on Twitter, Mr Khan is now urging the Government to provide more support for businesses affected by local lockdown restrictions.
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He said many measures taken to stop the spread of coronavirus had left sectors “reeling”.
“Many of these are not dying sectors - these are businesses that we are confident will return to thriving once we have come through this pandemic," he wrote.
“I welcome the additional Government support but hundreds of thousands of jobs remain at risk in the capital and more needs to be done to protect business and workers through these uncertain times.
“Protecting lives and livelihoods must go hand in hand which is why additional support is needed at the ‘high’ alert level."
Mr Khan added he was “very concerned” about the impact on the hospitality sector and the supply chains associated with the industry.
He said the Government should “immediately” confirm an extension for the business rates holiday for retail, leisure and hospitality which is due to end in March 2021.
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He added that after March there would be a “compelling case” for additional relief on sectors and locations that continue to be "most heavily impacted", such as culture and hospitality.
Mr Khan also said businesses would need more support to adapt as winter approached - to keep Covid safe.
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He added: “Businesses have done the right thing throughout the pandemic, adapting and changing to fast-moving circumstances.
“We all want businesses to operate safely where they can but they need as much notice as possible of changes to come and they need to understand the evidence underpinning the decisions about their future.
“There needs to be a dialogue with the Government prior to announcements of further restrictions to avoid the sort of unintended consequences we have seen with the curfew and to ensure measures are implemented safely and effectively."