30 March 2020 | UK NEWS
As Britain heads into its second week of lockdown, it would seem the country is yet to experience the peak of the virus.
However, despite the doom and gloom of negative statistics and the prospect of lockdown measures being in place for another 3 months, it seems as though the compassionate British spirit that makes this country what it is carries on.
We’ve seen it in particular today, with the return of 20,000 former NHS staff who have come back to work, in order to help out in the fight against Coronavirus.
The Prime Minister, who is currently in self-isolation, has said before that the only way the UK would beat this virus is by “coming together”, and it seems as though the message has already been chiming in the hearts and minds of the nation.
Front-line health staff in England are starting to be tested to see whether they show positive for Coronavirus. BBC News states that workers with symptoms and those who live with people who have symptoms will be checked – starting with hundreds of critical care doctors and nurses.
Tests for A&E staff, paramedics and GPs are expected to follow, with social care staff to be tested later on.
The UK government figures show that 17,089 people have now tested positive for the virus, with the number of people with it who have died in the UK reaching 1,228. Among those fatalities was 21-year-old Chloe Middleton, who passed away only a week ago after contracting Coronavirus. It is also understood she had no underlying health conditions.
This goes out as a reminder to young people in particular that nobody is safe from the virus and that it’s not just the elderly or those with health conditions who should be cautious.
A plea also came from 51-year-old Simon Cowls, who is begging the nation to respect the lockdown so he can hug his wife before he dies. Mr Cowls, who unfortunately has been diagnosed with terminal bowl cancer, fears the Coronavirus outbreak means he will never hug his wife again.
Mr Cowls and his wife, Ali, had bought a caravan so they could spend time together and make the most of creating some precious final memories. The idea was to take the caravan around the British countryside on a road trip, however Mr Cowls now spends each night alone in the van, parked in their backyard, in an effort to shield his vulnerable immune system from the threat of Coronavirus.
Instead of spending each night with his wife, he now has to kiss her goodnight via Skype. This is why he is now begging the British public to respect the PM’s lockdown request, so that all this can be over and done with as soon as possible.
