London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 08, 2026

Coronavirus: Sadiq Khan ends London's Covid 'major incident'

Coronavirus: Sadiq Khan ends London's Covid 'major incident'

Coronavirus cases in London have reduced "significantly" enough for Sadiq Khan to downgrade the Covid-19 "major incident" status in the capital.

It was brought in on 8 January as the Mayor of London warned Covid-19 infections had spread "out of control".

But, Mr Khan warned Londoners need to remain on "high alert" as coronavirus cases remain high.

Currently there are 2,371 patients in London hospitals with Covid-19 - 577 of those are on ventilators.

The move comes after the UK's four chief medical officers decided the UK's Covid alert level should be reduced from level five to level four.

It means the threat of the NHS and other health services being overwhelmed within 21 days has receded.

When the major incident was declared, the coronavirus infection rate in London has exceeded 1,000 per 100,000 people.

Military personnel have been working alongside NHS staff at the Royal London Hospital

Office for National Statistics estimated as many as one in 30 Londoners had coronavirus.

Mr Khan said he was downgrading the major incident status because of "heroic efforts" of Londoners who followed the government's lockdown rules.

He added: "This is not the time to take our foot off the pedal.

"Cases remain high - there are four times the number of patients in our hospitals than when restrictions were lifted last summer, and the incident level remains chronic.

"That's why we must, as a city, remain on high alert."

In the seven weeks since Mr Khan declared the incident firefighters and Met Police officers were drafted in to help the London Ambulance Service cope with demand.

Army medics were also deployed to some of London's hospitals to help cope with the soaring demand of beds needed for those crippled by coronavirus.

He said: "Our NHS and emergency services have gone above and beyond during this most difficult time for our city.

"We must repay them by continuing to follow the rules and taking the vaccine when offered the chance to do so."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Rare Early Copy of US Declaration of Independence Found in British Archive
Cornish Language Revival Gains Momentum Through Schools and Community Programs
UK Authorities Face Criticism Over Prisoner Early Release Safeguards
Clacton By-Election Set After Nigel Farage Resigns Seat to Trigger Contest
Government Agencies Review Long-Term Fiscal Risks from Aging Population and Low Productivity
UK Heatwaves Expose Pressure on Public Transport and Housing Infrastructure
UK Government Prepares Welfare Review Amid Debate Over Personal Independence Payment Reform
UK Government Expands Rapid Endometriosis Testing Across NHS Services
Vistry Group Issues Profit Warning as UK Housing Market Faces Continued Pressure
Virgin Media Receives Record Twenty-Eight Million Pound Fine Over Contract Cancellation Failures
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns UK Public Finances Face Long-Term Pressure
UK Watchdog Warns Regional Income Gap Has Barely Narrowed in Three Decades
IMF Raises United Kingdom Growth Forecast as Inflation and Energy Pressures Ease
UK Government Launches Regulatory Reform Bill to Speed Up Commercialization of Innovation
Prince Harry Loses Privacy Lawsuit Against Daily Mail Publisher After High Court Rejects Claims
Federal Financial Framework Shifts as Treasury Launches Universal Savings Program for Minors
Jet2 Reports Strong Summer Travel Demand as Bookings Rise Seven Percent
Prince Harry Loses High Court Privacy Case Against Daily Mail Publisher
British Universities Warn Against Potential European Union Tuition Fee Changes
Heal Fertility Clinic Investigated After Embryo Biopsy Sample Mix-Up
Resolution Foundation Warns Regional Income Divide Has Barely Improved Since 1997
British Markets Remain Cautious as Middle East Tensions Rise and Government Transition Nears
Andy Burnham Poised to Become United Kingdom Prime Minister in Expected Political Transition
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Ahead of By-Election Amid Funding Investigation
Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Over After Renewed Attacks on United States Bases
French Court Allows Le Pen to Run for Presidency, but with an Electronic Tag: "I Will Appeal, and I Will Run"
$1.4 Trillion: The Lawsuit That Could Crush Meta
Europe's Growing Struggle with Extreme Heat and Air Conditioning
UK Daily Briefing: Legal Developments and Social Issues
Political Turmoil and Rising Costs
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
Logic Flaw in Windows 11 Permission Architecture Silently Consumes Hundreds of Gigabytes of Local Storage
Apple Advances Late-Stage Operating Systems with Fourth Beta Deployments
Global Crisis Alert: Escalating Middle East Tensions and UK Political Upheaval
UK Parliament Pushes for Greater Domestic Control Over Critical Technologies
UK Parliament Warns Trade Fair and Exhibition Industry Is Losing Global Competitiveness
Police Launch Murder Investigation After Mother and Two Children Found Dead Near Bedford
British Chambers of Commerce Survey Shows Business Confidence Falls to Post-Pandemic Low
UK Parliament Report Warns Britain Risks Falling Behind in Artificial Intelligence Sovereignty
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns United Kingdom Faces Long-Term Fiscal Pressures
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Amid Financial Scrutiny and Triggers By-Election
Deep Purple Has Released Its Best Album in Decades
UK MPs Criticise Student Loan System as Potentially Mis-Sold to Millions of Borrowers
Policy Groups Propose Bank of England-Backed Solar Loan Scheme for Millions of Homes
UK Health Agency Issues Amber Heat Alerts Across Six Regions as Temperatures Rise
Royal Air Force F-35 Jets Conduct First High North Air Policing Missions From Aircraft Carrier
Major UK Companies Join Government Cybersecurity Pledge Amid Rising Digital Threats
UK Sanctions Russian Operatives Linked to Chemical Weapons Programmes and Poisoning Cases
UK Government Expands Free Breakfast Clubs and Limits School Uniform Costs
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Penalties Under New Environmental Enforcement Rules
×