Coronavirus update: Health secretary announces military-aided temporary hospital will be set up at ExCeL centre

Published by Ross Hindle on March 24th 2020, 5:05pm

The coronavirus press conference today was led by health secretary Matt Hancock, rather than the Prime Minister.

Mr Hancock announced a series of new measures, mainly focused around the NHS, which would help in the fight against the Covid-19 outbreak.

The first he announced was that the UK would be seeking 250,000 "NHS volunteers", people in "good health" who would help employees of the service with shopping, medicine delviery and other support.

He reaffirmed the restrictions set out by the prime minister last night, stating that they were "not requests" and that "everyone has a responsibility" to follow them.

Mr Hancock also announced that the NHS would be opening a new 4,000-bed hospital at the site of the ExCeL centre in the docklands -- dubbed the NHS Nightingale Hospital. The hospital, he said, would be established with the help of the military.

He continued by discussing the call made at the weekend for retired medics and students to the health service, announcing that 11,500 retirees had come forward alongside 18,000 medical students who were set to join the workforce.

Elsewhere in Europe, Italy has reported 743 deaths in the past day -- the highest so far -- and the death toll has seen a rise of 514 in SpainConfirmed cases have now passed 400,000 around the world.

Beyond Europe, it was announced today that India has entered a full lockdown, and that the Tokyo Olympics, the date of which had been a discussion for some weeks, have been moved to 2021.

The next Leaders Council update will follow tomorrow morning.

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Ross Hindle
Content Director
March 24th 2020, 5:05pm

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