Sadiq Khan savaged for ’underestimating’ coronavirus as he is told to ‘close the Tube’
SADIQ KHAN has been savaged on Twitter following his warning to carry on as normal despite the outbreak of the coronavirus.
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Posted on his profile, Mr Khan’s response to the deadly outbreak sparked outrage from members of the public who accused the Mayor of London of not understanding the severity of the virus. One person said: “The lack of taking a proactive approach is going to backfire in an enormous way.”
Another said: “Thanks mayor for spreading potentially deadly misinformation.”
Third said: “Please I beg you to not underestimate the threat.”
Despite the virus spreading across the country, Mr Khan insisted London’s transport will remain open.
Following his claim, some called on Mr Khan to “close the Tube”.
One person added: “Other countries have taken drastic measures and have limited the virus.
“We just wash our hands? Time to Cancel Everything.”
On Tuesday, Transport for London declared a new “enhanced cleaning regime” in order to combat the spread of coronavirus.
The number of cases in England has risen dramatically over the last few days while health officials have warned of a potential spike next month.
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Despite the spread of the virus across the country, Mr Khan has declared there will not be a situation where transport will be closed.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Khan said: “We are making sure we follow the advice from the experts.
“They can’t force a situation where we have to close the Tube or buses.”
Contrastingly, Mr Khan did admit his “concern” over the implications the virus may have on London.
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As the virus grips the country, Tory MP Nadine Dories declared her intent to go into self-isolation after testing positive for the contagion.
According to The Daily Telegraph, a further six MPs have tested positive.
Amid the news of the infected MPs, the Government is expected to ramp up its response to the contagion.
After being within the “contain” phase of tackling the virus, health officials will declare a move towards the “delay” phase.
In total, there have been 456 confirmed cases in the UK, while a further eight have died.
Mr Johnson will chair a COBRA meeting today where he will sign off on the move as part of the four-part battle plan.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Chancellor Rishi Sunak declared extra funding in order to tackle the virus in his Budget speech yesterday.
He said: “We now believe the virus could spread significantly.”
Mr Sunak declared the NHS will receive “whatever resources it needs” as he put forward billions of pounds of additional funding.
Health Secretary, Matt Hancock said the peak of the virus was expected “in a matter of a couple of months”.