Mayor cancels all events in London's Trafalgar Square

London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed Tuesday that all events in the British capital's landmark Trafalgar Square will be cancelled until further notice.

"It is vital that we take all necessary precautions to ensure the health of all in our city. Our Trafalgar Square celebrations are key moments that bring communities together from across the capital, but the government has advised that large gatherings should not take place so we will be cancelling them until further notice," said the London mayor.

"This is a challenging time for everyone but I want to reassure Londoners that we will continue to follow the advice of the medical experts and take the steps that are required to suppress this virus," said Khan.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged the people, especially residents of the hardest-hit London, to avoid "non-essential contact" in fighting the spread of novel coronavirus, which he said is "very disruptive."

The number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Britain reached 1,950 as of Tuesday morning, an increase of 407 cases in the past 24 hours.