LONDON MAYOR SADIQ KHAN DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY

Fri 08 January 2021:

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has formally declared an effective emergency in the UK capital, as it grapples with a soaring number of coronavirus cases and hospitals struggle to cope with the influx of patients.

Facing continuing surge of new Covid-19 cases, London mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday declared a ‘major incident’ – which is equivalent to declaring an emergency response – and urged people in the capital to stay at home and help hospitals from being overwhelmed.

BREAKING:

Today I have declared a major incident in London because the threat this virus poses to our city is at crisis point. One in 30 Londoners now has COVID-19. If we do not take immediate action now, our NHS could be overwhelmed and more people will die.

— Mayor of London (gov.uk/coronavirus) (@MayorofLondon) January 8, 2021

Khan took the decision as the chair of the London Resilience Forum following discussions with leaders from NHS London, local authorities, Public Health England and the emergency services in the capital.

It comes as the number of Covid-19 cases in London has exceeded 1,000 per 100,000, putting immense pressure on an already stretched NHS.

An estimated one in 30 Londoners now have the virus. The number of patients in the capital’s hospitals has grown by 27 percent over the last week and the number on ventilators has increased by 42 percent.

The declaration does not formally give London’s authorities new powers, but provides for improved emergency coordination and gives extra impetus to any demands for help to central government. It is also seen as an important symbolic step, emphasising to Londoners the gravity of the situation and the importance of them observing social distancing rules.

Khan has written to Boris Johnson to seek extra powers such as closing places of worship, and to require masks to be worn in crowded outdoor places, such as supermarket queues. He is also asking for more financial support for people unable to work because they are self-isolating, and daily data on vaccinations.