A major incident has been declared in the Thames Valley area, which includes Milton Keynes, as the pressure on hospitals in the area is increasing rapidly.
This comes as cases continue to climb across the city, reaching over 700 over the weekend.
The major incident covers Milton Keynes, all of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It has been announced by the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum which represents local authorities, healthcare providers and emergency services.
It has been declared because there are growing pressures on the NHS across the region as infection rates continue to rise at a rapid rate.
A major incident is an event or situation that by definition has a range of serious consequences. These consequences are a call to action for authorities, including police and other emergency responders, meaning that special arrangements should be put in place.
Neighbouring local authority Buckinghamshire Council had last week also declared a major incident due to fears of overwhelming pressure on hospitals.
Currently, Milton Keynes is in Tier 4 and a 'contingency area' meaning that the rate of transmission is incredibly high. At a bid to combat this, primary and secondary schools must remain closed for at least another two weeks.
Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Cllr Pete Marland, has said that Milton Keynes has one of the highest infection rates in South East England.
Cllr Marland believes that schools in the city should remain closed until a Covid-19 vaccination programme has been put in place for staff and pupils.
The news about the major incident comes just hours before the Prime Minister is set to address the nation and set out "further steps" to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Boris Johnson is expected to speak at 8pm amid calls for a third national lockdown in England.
