London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday declared a “major incident” in the UK capital due to the rapid spread of coronavirus, and warned that the state-run national health service was in danger of being overwhelmed.
Khan’s announcement represents a serious statement about the threat of the virus to London’s 9 million inhabitants as pressure on hospitals and ambulance services increases. A major incident is officially defined as ‘likely to cause serious harm, damage, disruption or danger to human life or welfare, essential services, the environment or national security’.
The mayor’s decision to declare a major incident in the capital means that special arrangements must now be made by emergency services to deal with the crisis in the city.
“The situation in London is now critical with the spread of the virus out of control,” Khan said. “The number of cases in London has increased rapidly, with more than a third more patients being treated in our hospitals compared to the peak of the pandemic in April.”