The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has in effect declared an emergency in the capital as it grapples with a soaring number of coronavirus cases and hospitals struggle to cope with the influx of patients, the Guardian reported. Khan declared a “major incident”, in his dual role as mayor and chair of the London Resilience Forum, after discussions with NHS London, local authorities, Public Health England and emergency services in the capital. A major incident involves a particularly urgent or complex situation that requires coordination between emergency services. They have been declared in London previously for incidents such as the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, and the terror attacks at Westminster Bridge and London Bridge. Greater Manchester declared a major incident in August due to the spread of Covid. The declaration does not formally give London’s authorities new powers, but provides for improved emergency coordination and gives extra impetus to any demands for help to central government. It is also seen as an important symbolic step, emphasising to Londoners the gravity of the situation and the importance of them observing social distancing rules. The formal definition of a major incident is something “likely to involve serious harm, damage, disruption or risk to human life or welfare, essential services, the environment or national security”.