LONDON: London mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday announced a major incident, warning that hospitals in the British capital could soon overflow after an increase in coronavirus infections linked to a new strain.
“The strong fact is that we will be running out of beds for patients in the next few weeks unless the spread of the virus slows down significantly,” Khan said in a statement, urging more support from UK central government.
“We are announcing a major event as the threat posed by this virus to our city is at an emergency level. If we do not take immediate action now, our NHS (National Health Service) could override and receive more people die. “
It is estimated that one in 30 Londoners have the virus. The number of patients in the capital ‘s hospitals has risen 27 per cent over the past week and the number on ventilators has risen by 42 per cent.
Khan hopes the decision will put pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take further steps to oppose dispersal. The mayor has written to Johnson asking for more financial support for Londoners who need to separate themselves, daily vaccination data, closure of places of worship and for normal face masks to be worn outside the home.
“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 risen rapidly with over a third more patients now being treated in our hospitals compared to the peak of the pandemic in April last year, “he said.
He urged Londoners to play their part by sticking to the rules. “Today I urge them to stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary for you to leave. Stay at home to protect yourself, your family, friends and other Londoners and to protect our NHS . “
A major incident is defined as “usually outside the scope of work, and is likely to involve serious harm, damage, disorder or endangerment to the life or welfare of persons, essential services, the environment or national security “.
At the same time, China destroyed two cities and imposed travel restrictions on 18 million people Friday in a bid to eradicate new coronavirus records, as the United States reported the highest number of deaths from the disease.
Authorities in the two cities south of Beijing cut transport links and began mass tests after 127 diseases were reported in the region over the past week. They have entered Australia’s third-largest city using an ultra-cautious approach to the pandemic, with Brisbane announcing it will be locked over one disease.
The responses to the uprisings were relatively small compared to the uproar surrounding runaway infectious figures in many other parts of the world. The United States reported a daily record Thursday with nearly 4,000 deaths, while the toll in Brazil hit 200,000.
But many East Asian countries have dealt with an outbreak more effectively, and China on Friday moved to hold its largest rally in six months with its usual tight restrictions. The northern cities of Shijiazhuang and Xingtai, home to more than five million people, were effectively sealed.
Long-distance passenger vehicle transport in both towns was suspended on Friday, and major roads were closed. Flights to and from Shijiazhuang were canceled, and trains were canceled. Orders to stay in their local areas were placed on everyone in Shijiazhuang and Xingtai, as well as the surrounding areas.
Britain reported on Friday that 1,325 deaths had been recorded over a 24-year period from people who tested positive for coronavirus, as an increase in cases strained health services that were too high, making London a major event to name. The death toll hit the worst of 1,224 recorded on April 21 at the height of the first wave last year, bringing the total number of deaths to 79,833.
