Remember victims and don’t let sun tempt you out, pleads nursing leader

The government is urging people to stay at home this weekend as the weather warms up as it was announced four NHS staff have died within 24 hours after contracting Covid-19.

Two nurses in their 30s – Areema Nasreen and Aimee O’Rourke – who each had three children, have died alongside two healthcare assistants.

England’s chief nursing officer, Ruth May, said the nurses “were one of my profession” as she urged members of the public not to be tempted to go outside in the forecast sunny weather this weekend.

In the daily Downing Street press conference, Ms May said: “This weekend is going to be very warm and it will be very tempting to go out and enjoy those summer rays.

“But please, I ask to remember Aimee and Areema.

“Please stay at home for them.” Ms May expressed her condolences to their families, friends and colleagues and said she feared further nurses will die.

She said: “They were one of us, they were one of my profession, of the NHS family.

“I worry that there’s going to be more and I want to honour them today and recognise their service.”

“I just urge you not to do that. Please, please stick with the guidance now.”

A close friend of 36-year-old Areema, who worked at Walsall Manor Hospital, paid tribute to her on social media.

Fellow nurse Rubi Aktar said: “I am so broken that words can’t explain. I can’t believe I will not see your smile again.”

The health secretary has described having coronavirus as a “pretty unpleasant experience” as he promised further action on testing.

Matt Hancock said he has now fully recovered from the “nasty” illness, which saw him suffer sleepless nights and an “incredibly” sore throat.

Mr Hancock said: “It was a pretty unpleasant experience.

“I went downhill on Thursday last week and for a couple of nights it was very hard to sleep, incredibly painful throat, it was like having glass in my throat.”

He said he had also suffered a “bit of a cough” and lost half a stone in weight.

The Department of Health said, as of 9am yesterday, a total of 173,784 people have been tested for coronavirus, of which 38,168 tested positive.

Public Health England said 11,764 tests were carried out on Thursday in England.

It came as the first of the Government’s emergency field hospitals to treat coronavirus patients opened in east London’s ExCel centre.