Coronavirus: London mayor declares ‘major incident’ as Omicron cases surge
- Sadiq Khan said Covid-19 hospital admissions in the city rose by nearly 30 per cent this week
- The total number of Omicron cases recorded across the country hit almost 25,000 on Friday, up by more than 10,000 cases from 24 hours earlier
Britain reported a surge in cases of the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant on Saturday, and London’s mayor declared a “major incident” to help the capital’s hospitals following a sharp rise in Covid-19 admissions.
The total number of Omicron cases recorded across the country hit almost 25,000 as of 6pm local time on Friday, up by more than 10,000 cases from 24 hours earlier, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in its latest data.
Seven people believed to have had the Omicron variant had died as of Thursday, up from one death in the UKHSA’s previous data which ran up to Tuesday. Hospitalisations of people thought to have the variant increased to 85 from 65.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “major incident” - which allows for closer coordination between different public agencies and possibly more central government support - as Covid-19 hospital admissions in the city rose by nearly 30 per cent this week.
He said health worker absences had also increased.
“I’ve taken the decision, in consultation with our partners, to declare a major incident today,” Khan said during a visit to Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club which is being used as a mass vaccination centre.
“This is a statement of how serious things are,” he said.
Khan, from the opposition Labour Party, also declared a major incident in January, when rising Covid-19 cases threatened to overwhelm hospitals.