London Mayor Sadiq Khan has declared a “major incident” in the city as coronavirus cases increase and threaten to dominate the city’s hospitals, according to reports.
The mayor hopes that the declaration will help speed up aid from the National Health Service (NHS), which he described as “on the verge of being overwhelmed” and running out of beds.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks during a vigil at London’s Guildhall Yard on Monday to commemorate the victims of stabbing on the London Bridge and to pay homage to members of the emergency services and spectators who fought against the attacker.
(AP)
“If we don’t take immediate action now, our NHS could become overwhelmed and more people will die,” Khan said in a statement. “Londoners continue to make enormous sacrifices and today I am begging you to stay at home, unless it is absolutely necessary for you to leave.”
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“Stay home to protect yourself, your family, friends and other Londoners and to protect our NHS.”
The statement does not grant the mayor or the authorities additional powers, but it does provide easier coordination and the ability to demand more aid from Westminster, according to the Guardian.
More than anything, the change is seen as symbolic to make it clear to London residents how serious the situation in their city is.
Khan told BBC reporter Karl Mercer that the number of Londoners with COVID-19 reaches 1 in 20 in some parts of London, while the Office for National Statistics lists the estimate at 1 in 30.
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Khan also stated that there are more than 7,000 people in the hospital with COVID-19, which is a 35% increase from the previous peak.