Military personnel arrive at the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre in London on Monday, as the spread of the novel coronavirus continues with the United Kingdom's death toll having now passed the 11,000 mark. (Photo: VCG)
Armed force personnel deployed around the country to offer support
As the United Kingdom heads into a fourth week of nationwide lockdown measures, pressure is mounting on its government to review restrictions.
Scientific advisers will meet on Tuesday ahead of a review of the strict physical distancing measures taking place on Thursday, the deadline set out in law.
On Sunday, the UK became the fifth country to record more than 10,000 novel coronavirus deaths, joining the United States, France, Spain and Italy, and on Monday, the UK's total number of hospital deaths linked to the virus reached 11,329.
It has emerged that 10 members of the UK Cabinet are urging lockdown conditions to be eased amid concern about the impact on the economy.
The Times quoted an unnamed minister as saying it was important not to do "more damage", and measures could be eased after another three weeks.
Speaking at the government's daily news briefing at Downing Street, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he "doesn't expect" any changes to be made to the UK's lockdown this week.
He said there are some "positive signs" from the data that show "we are starting to win this struggle "but warned: "We are still not past the peak." He added: "Our plan is working. There is widespread support for our measures."
On Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent an Easter message to the nation, thanking the National Health Service, or NHS, for "saving" his life, after he was discharged from central London's St Thomas' hospital, where he spent a week being treated, with three nights in intensive care.
The prime minister shared a video message from his country residence Chequers, where he will now spend his recovery. Carrie Symonds, Johnson's fiancee, said on Twitter that life got "very dark" at times while her husband-to-be was in hospital. "The staff at St Thomas' Hospital have been incredible," she wrote, "I will never, ever be able to repay you and I will never stop thanking you."
Nearly 200 members of the UK's armed forces are being loaned to NHS ambulance services to support their work during the pandemic, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The new duties will include driving ambulances and taking calls from the public, although their responsibilities will vary depending on the area. Military personnel from all three strands of the armed forces will be sent to work at five ambulance trusts.
Members of the armed forces have helped with the response to the outbreak in a variety of ways. Military personnel were involved in the planning and building of the first NHS Nightingale hospital at the ExCel exhibition center in east London, as well as its equivalents across the country.
The Ministry of Defence said there are hundreds of personnel delivering supplies of personal protective equipment, or PPE, for the NHS based at distribution centers across the country, amid reported shortages.
A leading hospitals manager has urged UK ministers to be more open about the shortages of PPE for NHS staff, even if it draws criticism from political opponents.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, wants the government to start alerting health service trusts when they are about to face a lack of equipment. He said: "There's always a risk to sharing potentially difficult information more widely, especially if it reaches the public domain and can be weaponized to attack. But fully enlisting the skill, commitment and ingenuity of trusts to solve PPE challenges is key. And then all those who want the NHS to succeed can join together in ensuring this happens."
Elsewhere, some European countries have seen slowing infection rates, raising hopes that strict social distancing measures are curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
New Spanish data released on Monday showed 517 people had died over the previous 24 hours, compared with 619 recorded on Sunday. The number of new confirmed new cases also fell.
The figures came as Spain allowed builders, factory workers and others unable to work from home to return to work, provided they follow strict safety guidelines.
Italy has the highest toll outside the US, with nearly 20,000 deaths so far, but data suggests the infection rate is slowing. Germany now has more people who have recovered from coronavirus than active cases, officials said.