Government announces new hospital and new volunteer scheme to fight coronavirus

By Gareth Jones

Today, Matt Hancock the Secretary of State for Health, led the Downing Street Press Conference and reiterated the Prime Minister’s announcement from yesterday evening that everyone should stay at home unless for four specific reasons (going to work, exercise, shopping for food and necessities and for a medical appointment or providing care to a vulnerable person).

He stressed that “these steps are not requests, they are rules.” This comes as the official government figures show that the number of coronavirus deaths in the UK has risen to 422, with an increase of 87 in just 24 hours.

Hancock then announced a new initiative of ‘NHS volunteers’, seeking a quarter of a million volunteers to help the NHS for shopping, and for delivery of medicines. Hancock added that 11,788 retired and former NHS staff have already agreed to return to the NHS “in its hour of need.”

Hancock revealed that the government was building a new temporary NHS hospital in London’s Excel Centre, which will have two wards for 2,000 people, and medics will be assisted by the military. Hancock said that the government was doing everything to make sure we have the capacity we need, but stressed that no matter how much capacity the NHS has, it will not be able to cope unless members of the public obey the rules and stay at home.

Lastly, the Secretary of State revealed that the government have ordered 3.5 million kits to test whether people have antibodies to the virus and can go back to work and called on the Mayor of London to ensure that the tube network was running as normal to allow people to get to work whilst being physically apart.

g care to a vulnerable person).

He stressed that “these steps are not requests, they are rules.” This comes as the official government figures show that the number of coronavirus deaths in the UK has risen to 422, with an increase of 87 in just 24 hours.

Hancock then announced a new initiative of ‘NHS volunteers’, seeking a quarter of a million volunteers to help the NHS for shopping, and for delivery of medicines. Hancock added that 11,788 of retired and former NHS staff have already agreed to return to the NHS “in its hour of need.”

Hancock revealed that the government was building a new temporary NHS hospital in London’s Excel Centre, which will have two wards for 2,000 people, and medics will be assisted by the military. Hancock said that the government was doing everything to make sure we have the capacity we need, but stressed that no matter how much capacity the NHS has, it will not be able to cope unless members of the public obey the rules and stay at home.

Lastly, the Secretary of State revealed that the government have ordered 3.5 million kits to test whether people have antibodies to the virus and can go back to work and called on the Mayor of London to ensure that the tube network should be running as normal to allow people to get to work whilst being physically apart.