GIVE THEM A MEDAL!
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: OUR CAMPAIGN FOR CARERS..
personal Twitter video. As well as confirming his diagnosis he said: “I want to thank our amazing NHS staff.”
If Mr Johnson becomes too ill to continue working, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will step into the role.
Mr Johnson first had symptoms on Thursday and was tested that day.
At 8pm, he stepped out to join the nationwide applause for NHS staff.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak was also there but stood more than two metres away.
Mr Johnson took part in yesterday’s coronavirus war Cabinet at 9.15am via video link from the No11 Downing street flat where he lives.
Less than two hours after his video message, Mr Hancock confirmed he too had the bug.
Saying he would be self-isolating until next Thursday the Health Secretary added: “Fortunately for me the symptoms so far have been very mild.”
Mr Johnson had been working from home for the past fortnight, only leaving to attend the Commons.
He has hosted daily meetings of the Covid-19 team, which includes Mr Hancock, Mr Sunak, Mr Gove and Mr Raab. On Tuesday, the PM was one of
just four people to attend the weekly full Cabinet meeting in person along with Mr Hancock, Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill and Prof Whitty.
Prof Whitty said yesterday he “will be continuing to advise the Government”, while in self isolation.
On Wednesday, the PM was in Parliament for an extended, hourlong Prime Minister’s Questions.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said yesterday: “I wish the Prime Minister a speedy recovery and hope his family are safe and healthy.”
Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen last saw Mr Johnson for their weekly audience over a fortnight ago.
A spokesman said: “Her Majesty the Queen remains in good health.
Be in no doubt I can continue to lead the fight against coronavirus
BORIS JOHNSON IN VIDEO MESSAGE TO THE NATION
Huge support as Mirror calls for heroes fighting disease to get proper recognition
THE Daily Mirror today launches a campaign to give all the brave NHS staff and volunteers helping to battle the coronavirus a medal.
Hundreds of thousands of doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants are treating patients hit by Covid-19 – and we believe they deserve an honour.
The public has already showed gratitude by standing on doorsteps and windows across the land to give a huge round of applause on Thursday night.
The gesture, which many workers said moved them to tears, came as they shared images of themselves and told of their struggles amid the crisis.
As they work gruelling hours, many lack basic protective gear. And they sacrifice time with their own families to look after ours. Here, we picture just some of the brave souls putting themselves at risk as we demand they get proper recognition.
Backing our campaign, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who chairs the Health Select Committee, said: “A medal is the least we can do for our NHS heroes fighting the coronavirus war.” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “We owe our deepest thanks to our healthcare workers, so I’m delighted to support the Mirror’s great campaign to give a medal.”
British Medical Association council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “All NHS and care staff are already going above and beyond. As we face this pandemic, their dedication will increase immeasurably. It is only right that we recognise the heroic efforts during this unprecedented and frightening time.”
And Dave Prentis, general secretary of union Unison, said: “Unison is proud to get behind the Mirror’s campaign. Health and care staff are working tirelessly to care for us all and save lives.”
Staff telling of their plight included London care home nurse Orsolya Amidu. She said: “We are the ones who care for your parents or grandparents, the most vulnerable. We come to work anxiously, fearing we will infect them.
“Even though we wash our hands a thousand times a day, we cannot do social distancing. And yet we do not have proper PPE. We want to keep the people we care for safe and coronavirusfree but we have to live with the fact that we might not be able to protect them and we feel abandoned in this situation.
“Do not forget us. We are many. And we cannot stay at home either.”
Charlotte Hicks, a nurse in Colwall, Herefordshire, said: “I write this with tears. I have never felt more alone. Later today I kiss my boys goodbye until isolation is over. I have taken the toughest decision but the best one, for them to be in isolation away from me, whilst I go to work and kick Covid-19 out of here.”
Ailsa Atkinson, a theatre nurse in York who posted a snap which showed the marks from her surgical mask still imprinted on her face, said: “To anyone who still isn’t taking it seriously and thinks the lockdown is over the top... it’s not. Don’t be selfish. Enjoy spending more time with your family. Stay safe.”
Posting her snap, Lucy Hutchings, a
healthcare assistant from Southampton, said: “Here’s me straight from a 13-hour shift. No make-up. No filters. I wish I could stay home with my family, watch movies, eat food, but I can’t. “
Some 7,510 nurses and midwives who had quit in the past three years have re-registered to help fight the pandemic.
And 702,000 volunteers have so far signed up to deliver food and medicines and do supportive tasks for the 1.4 million most vulnerable at home.
There is a precedent for granting a medal after the Government approved a gong in 2015 for Brits helping with the ebola outbreak in Africa, the first medal given for a humanitarian crisis response.
Acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Millions clapping their thanks on Thursday was uplifting. They all deserve a medal – and they should get a medal.”
And business leaders also backed our call. CBI deputy director-general Josh Hardie said the NHS heroes “deserve all the recognition we can give them”.
Here’s me after a 13-hour shift. I wish I could stay home with my family but I can’t HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT LUCY HUTCHINGS ON GRUELLING FIGHT
THE two men leading our response to coronavirus tested positive yesterday.
PM Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock both say they have mild symptoms and intend to work on while in self-isolation.
The Mirror may not share their politics but we wish them a speedy recovery and hope their families and loved ones remain healthy.
In another worrying development, the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, announced he too had symptoms and was self-isolating.
The fear now is that other leading politicians and officials could also fall victim when the country requires leadership and expertise.
This triple blow poses the question – have those giving the rest of us advice on social distancing been diligent in following it?
Downing Street’s handling of this crisis has not been without fault but if we are to weather the next few weeks we need the wheels of Government to turn as smoothly as possible.
For the nation’s sake we need our leaders and experts to stay in good health.