Coronavirus: Bow Road and Stepney Green to be closed

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Up to 40 stations on the London Underground network are to be shut as the London attempts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

The stations affected in Tower Hamlets are Bow Road and Stepney Green.

Transport for London said there would be a partial shutdown of the network from Thursday morning.

There will be no night Tube and bus services will also be reduced, it said.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan urged Londoners not to travel unless it is essential to do so. “Londoners should be avoiding social interaction unless absolutely necessary, and that means they should be avoiding using the transport network unless absolutely necessary.”

The Tube closures are intended to allow the city’s “critical” workers, including hospital staff, to make essential journeys, Transport for London said.The measure highlights the severity of the situation in Britain’s capital.

London’s famous subway system — the oldest in the world — is used by around 2 million people every day, and has not seen extended mass closures since the the 7/7 terror attacks in 2005 shut down parts of the service for almost a month.

“London will get through these extraordinarily challenging times, and ensuring the capital’s critical workers can move around the city will be crucial,” Khan said.

London, by far the UK’s busiest city, has been the worst-hit part of the country during the coronavirus pandemic. Of the 2,626 confirmed cases in the country, nearly 1,000 have been in London — but health officials admit that the true number of people infected but not tested is likely far higher.

Earlier this week, the prime minister urged people to work from home and to avoid bars, pubs and restaurants.

Schools will close from Friday.