London's West End faces existential threat from COVID-19 pandemic: mayor

London mayor Sadiq Khan made an urgent plea Thursday to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, asking the government to help ensure the capital's internationally famous West End area survives the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For decades central London has been the economic engine of the UK, a cultural powerhouse, and a gateway for global tourism to the UK. But it now faces a real existential threat from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Khan in his letter to Johnson.

The West End is a district of central London, in which many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings and entertainment venues, including theatres, are concentrated.

Khan said businesses face a "perfect storm" of continued home working, restrictions on domestic and international tourism, and the requirement for continued social distancing.

The London mayor asked Johnson to give an extension to a business rates holiday or guarantee a discount for businesses in the central London area for the next year.

He also wants to see the creation of a direct financial aid scheme for hospitality, retail, leisure and cultural businesses in central London, calling on the British government to explore other measures which might increase public confidence, such as making face coverings compulsory in the busiest public spaces, among others.

Recent City Hall polling shows that Londoners are still not travelling to central London, with 66 percent of those surveyed saying they were unlikely to go in the next week.

Polling also shows Londoners would be more comfortable heading into central London if face masks are used in a wider range of setting and not just when inside shops and venues.

(CGTN)