Sadiq Khan declares major incident in London

[Ohbabybab]

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-55588163

@roisevan

I've in London and recently tested positive for covid. It is scary to know that if I become seriously unwell the hospitals may not have space or even oxygen for me.

Before Christmas there were so many people ignoring the rules about social distancing and masks. The tube was full of people who had pulled their masks under their chins and no one to tell them not to. This was grimly inevitable and stricter rules and penalties will be needed to get it under control.

In our London office, my manager and HR person were planning for employees to come in for a Christmas party and go out for drinks, using a 'business meeting' loophole that could be exploited in Tier 2. Posted a thread about it on AIBU and there were a fair number of people telling me to mind my own business.

The whole thing ended up cancelled because London was placed in Tier 3, but now it seems even more absurd that that kind of stuff was happening in mid-December.

[quote kirinm]@CleverCatty but what did BJ actually do? [/quote]
I do know he wasted a lot of taxpayers' money on water cannons (unusable) and trying to build a garden bridge.

@the80sweregreat

I keep hearing that the nightingale hospital isn't up and running now? If it isn't , then this could help if they can find the staff? I know that's a tall order by the way. It's sad his had to do this but many haven't been following the rules or wearing face coverings , so I'm not surprised this is getting worse in London now.

Yes, funnily enough they do know they need staff for the Nightingale. They were talking about it on the radio this morning. They have the capacity and the beds are potentially available, but they don't have enough hands on deck.

I think - unless I'm mistaken - Marcus Rashford's campaign was a national campaign.

Yes, I wish Khan was PM (it would cause social media to implode with wingnuts) - but he's not even the LOTO.

Prime Minister - Boris Johnson - responsible for U.K.- wide legislation.

Parliament - provides oversight. At present there's an 80-seat Conservative majority, so Johnson basically has rubber-stamp government.

Leader of the Opposition - Keir Starmer, Labour leader. Presently facing an 80-seat majority, so has limited power.

Mayor of London - Sadiq Khan. Limited powers, in London. Range of powers extremely limited by successive Conservstive governments. Previous Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson) partly a stooge, who didn't challenge the limited nature of Mayor's powers. Chiefly responsible for spaffing vast amounts of money and being workshy.

iwanttibeonabeach Same.

It's sad that the nightingale hospitals were created , but staffing wasn't considered it seems. No wonder London has a major crisis.

Quaagars. You dont need to look at the daily fail at the reports of all the lockdown transgressions. You just have to look around you to see examples of it not being taken seriously by too many people. Every time I go out there are the usual bunch with masks not covering their nose and the couples moseying about the supermarket. There’s a mobile hairdresser still popping into friends houses to give them a trim and a friend of mine who insists they dont have covid and thinks it’s ok to come round for a chat. I’ve explained countless times it’s possible to pass it on if you aren’t symptomatic but they dont seem to be able to get their head round that. With the first strain all these things probably weren’t a great risk. Now though it’s obviously far more infectious.

What a bizarre thread. I'm not a fan of some of Sadiq Khan's policies, but the current emergency is obviously not his fault, it's the natural consequence of a more transmissible strain of covid working across the population. Several people I know caught covid at the supermarket while wearing a mask (I might theorise it's because more than one of them went, both chatting and taking longer increasing risk despite mask). Other areas who haven't been affected yet would be well advised to consider what "more transmissible" means in the context that most were already social distancing, before it arrives fully in your area. Keep as much distance as you can with indoor ventilated spaces, and stay home where you can.
913 people admitted to hospital today, I feel for the NHS workers who must be so exhausted: coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/healthcare?areaType=nhsregion&areaName=London.

People are despairing on lbc today about the fact that people are carrying on as if nothing is happening.
I'm not sure what else they can do to tighten the restrictions , but if it's clear people are making it worse.

@SendHelp30

1. Nobody is taking it seriously

1. Schools are still pretty much full due to parents taking the absolute piss with the key worker roles
2. It’s not the issue of not having nightingales open- we don’t have sufficient numbers to staff them.

The secondary school near my home has many students still attending. I would have thought older students could take care of themselves . Why are they attending school?

I am really angry that some people aren’t taking this seriously. I have had COVID and have thankfully recovered,
My sister has just tested COVID positive and is very poorly at the moment.

@the80sweregreat

It's sad that the nightingale hospitals were created , but staffing wasn't considered it seems. No wonder London has a major crisis.

It makes you wonder whether the NHS was even consulted when the decision was made to throw these places up? Was it a case of "look at us rest of the world, we are amazing" without actually consulting those who would use them.

VickyEadieofThigh - agreed with you re Water Cannons and Garden Bridge - money should never have been spent on either of those.

Water cannons - for rioting?

Ok - Khan supporters - why does he come up in polls as the 'worst Mayor London has ever had?' or is this people being racist towards him?

Robbery up 73%, muggings up 56% and homeless up 34% since his election in 2016.... good stats eh?!

Lampzade - the secondary school near your house shouldn't be open...

Most secondaries near where I live are closed and kids working online.

DBro's MIL in SW England is teaching her students via Zoom.

Where possible they should be learning online! Apart from of course keyworkers' children who have to attend.

Re cycle lanes

There is a serious issue now with ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Look at Euston, so many rat runs closed for whatever reason, now solid bollards so the cyclists can't even attempt to clear a space.

In the dark ages, my father was on call for ICU. Of course things have changed a lot but there will be many vehicles suffering serious delays in this situation. He'd be tearing his hair out if he were still here. Emergency vehicles don't seem to have been factored in at all.

Emergency services have raised concerns in my area too. I am now not using the bus to get to mum - care - because the cycle lanes have doubled the journey. She is worried about covid and would much rather i used the bus than Tube as she feels the bus is in fresh air at least.

Btw, I wish posters would lay the blame where it lies and that is on the inept Boris Johnson and his useless minions .The constant lambasting of Mayor Sadie Khan is just ridiculous.
As another poster pointed out, he’s probably going to get re-elected anyway .

@CleverCatty

Lampzade - the secondary school near your house shouldn't be open...

Most secondaries near where I live are closed and kids working online.

DBro's MIL in SW England is teaching her students via Zoom.

Where possible they should be learning online! Apart from of course keyworkers' children who have to attend.

I was shocked to see the school open. I know that primary schools are open, but I can’t understand why secondary schools should be open

billy of course parking wardens are essential. Without them people take the piss and emergency vehicles can't get access. At least they're working in the fresh air.

We are at capacity. Our staff are rapidly becoming our inpatients with a couple of Sisters in ITU. Community hospital is also at it's limit, so much so we are on the brink of sending patients out to Covid facilities.

We are chronically understaffed across all out NHS services. I think we are beyond Majax and have been for a while now.

Every state secondary school is open for key workers and vulnerable students.

Yes we should be doing more.
Kids should not play in parks - they were closed first time, now they remain open. Many are meeting friends. I have a kid myself so I understand how difficult that can be
People should not be having workmen and builders to their house - behind me a whole team are finishing an extension - none of them wearing masks
Don't go out in cars with other people - too many cars on the roads
Work at home unless absolutely impossible
Don't put your kids in school unless its absolutely impossible to work at home, far too many are in this time around
Don't go out except for essentials like food and toilet roll
In a couple of weeks time none of us will be able to deal with any medical emergencies, car accident, falling of a bike, an absess in a tooth, breaking a limb, having a heart attack, stroke etc. These things could happen to any of us and we have to help each other get through it.

why does he come up in polls as the 'worst Mayor London has ever had?

What polls are those? He is far ahead of everyone else in polling of voting intention for the next mayoral election:
yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2020/11/28/sadiq-khan-holds-21-point-lead-london-mayoral-race

We have been leaping up in SE London but can just see the start of a turn.

The lockdown that started this week will hopefully show in next few days.

Secondary schools should stay open because some of their students are 11 and where I live you would not leave your 11 year old alone all day. Additionally some children need to be protected from their home lives, and others need the routine of school because of SN.

@carcarbinks

itsgettingweird

I agree about the schools. I feel so angry that the government refused to let them close and threatened them with legal action. It was clear that something was going wrong.

And we've just been told we must open the nursery in our school to all children. On the same day that covid in London is declared a 'major incident'

This is utter madness.

Robbery up 73%, muggings up 56% and homeless up 34% since his election in 2016.... good stats eh?!

You'll find the same stats in almost every city in the UK. Ten years of austerity, cuts to youth services, cuts to mental health services, cuts to benefits. These problems are everywhere. Even my non descript small town now has rough sleepers, something we've never seen before.