(Bloomberg) -- Mayor Sadiq Khan is pushing for London to avoid the toughest tier of coronavirus restrictions when England’s lockdown ends next week.

Khan is lobbying the U.K. government for the capital to stay in tier 2 -- which would allow the city’s pubs, bars and restaurants to stay open. Ministers are set to announce which regions are placed in one of three tiers on Thursday.

Health minister Nadine Dorries spoke with London lawmakers on a video call Tuesday to hear their views ahead of the decision, two people familiar with the matter said. Some members of Parliament have publicly aired their opposition to the city going into tier 3, the highest level of restrictions, which they warn would hit already struggling businesses hard.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that England’s four-week lockdown will end on Dec. 2, to be replaced with a regional three-tier system that will be tougher than before. Pubs, restaurants, bars and indoor entertainment venues will be closed in tier 3 areas, except for delivery and takeaway.

Keeping London in tier 2 -- where it was before lockdown -- would be the “right and sensible decision,” given that cases are lower than “most other parts of the country,” Khan said in a statement on Tuesday.

“London’s unique ecosystem of bars, restaurants, clubs and cultural venues have been through an extremely tough year,” he said. “If they had to close throughout the Christmas period and beyond in tier 3 it would be a hammer blow that many might not recover from.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday that no decision had yet been made. “London will come out at the tier that is necessary and appropriate based on the public health evidence,” he told MPs.

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