[ad_1]
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has declared a “major incident” in the city as coronavirus cases rise and threaten to overwhelm the city’s hospitals, according to reports.
The mayor hoped the statement would help speed up aid to the National Health Service (NHS), which he described as “on the verge of being overwhelmed” and short of beds.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks during a vigil at Guildhall Yard in London on Monday to remember the London knife victims and pay tribute to members of the emergency services and bystanders who battled the attacker .
(AP)
“If we don’t take immediate action now our NHS could be overwhelmed and more people will die,” Khan said in a statement. “Londoners continue to make enormous sacrifices and I implore them today to please stay home unless it is absolutely necessary for you to leave.”
UK GREENLIGHTS MODERNA COVID-19 VACCINE, MARKING THIRD IN ARSENAL
“Stay home to protect yourself, your family, friends and other Londoners and to protect our NHS.”
The declaration does not give the mayor or authorities any additional powers, but it does provide for easier coordination and the ability to demand more help from Westminster, according to the Guardian.
More than anything, this move is seen as symbolic in making the residents of London understand just how dire the situation in their city is.
Khan told BBC reporter Karl Mercer that the number of Londoners with COVID-19 reached 1 in 20 in parts of London, while the Office for National Statistics lists the estimate at 1 in 30.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Khan also claimed there were more than 7,000 people in hospital with COVID-19, which is a 35% increase from the previous peak.
[ad_2]
Source link