London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the situation was getting “out of control”, with the rising infections rates “putting immense pressure on an already stretched NHS”. He said one in 30 Londoners are now infected with COVID-19, claiming the city is at “crisis point”.
Mr Khan said: “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.
“Londoners continue to make huge sacrifices and I am today imploring them to please 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.”
It comes as the coronavirus infection rate in London has exceeded 1,000 per 100,000 people.
The Mayor said there are currently more than 7,000 people in hospital with COVID-19, an increase of more than 35 percent compared to the first wave of the pandemic.
Due to the worsening situation in the capital, Mr Khan has written to Boris Johnson to request tighter restrictions be imposed.
He has asked for the closure of places of worship and for face masks to be worn routinely outside of the home, including in crowded places and supermarket queues.
JUST IN: Sadiq Khan statement in full as London declares major incident
City Hall said the number of people on mechanical ventilators has risen by 42 percent, from 640 to 908, in the week up to January 6.
Sir Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, warned at yesterday’s Downing Street press conference that more than 800 patients are being admitted to London hospitals with COVID-19 each day.
He said: “That’s the equivalent of a new St Thomas’ hospital, full of COVID patients every day.”
It’s believed the last mayor to declare a London-wide major incident was Mr Johnson in response to the 2011 riots.
The UK’s ‘R’ rate, which indicates the average number of people someone with coronavirus passes it on to, has risen from between 1.1-1.3 to 1.0-1.4.
It is based on data up to 4 January, but the government cautioned the latest rate “cannot account for the impact of recent policy changes” such as the lockdown in England.
