Army preparing 20,000 troops to help police and NHS in coronavirus fight

Army preparing 20,000 troops to help police and NHS in coronavirus fight
NewsColony

TWENTY thousand troops are on standby to help the police and NHS in the battle against the coronavirus.

The armed forces are poised to step in to take over hotels and run them as hospitals and to man roadblocks if required, in a dramatic escalation of the government’s response to the disease.

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The armed forces are on standby to help the police and NHSCredit: AFP or licensors

Boris Johnson has announced the closure of ALL schools across the whole of the UKCredit: PA:Press Association

The death toll from the coronavirus – or Covid 19 as it’s officially called – has now reached 104 and infections 2,226, prompting the Prime Minister to announced schools are to close.

Sweeping new powers are also being looked at to keep people at home, as the armed forces are set to deploy in a bid to help the nation manage the escalating crisis.

The Covid Support Force is made up made up of 10,000 military personnel who are regularly deployed to civilian activities, plus an extra 10,000 in response.

Major General Charlie Stickland, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff Operations and Commitments, said the force “will form part of a whole force effort to support the country during its time of need”.

The force been placed at high readiness and could expand its role into more specialised roles aimed at helping the NHS.

A group of 150 military personnel are due to start training next week in how to drive oxygen tankers in order to support the treatment of coronavirus patients requiring ventilation and critical care.

Scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory are supporting Public Health England’s effort to understand the virus and tackle the spread.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The men and women of our Armed Forces stand ready to protect Britain and her citizens from all threats, including Covid-19.

“The unique flexibility and dedication of the services means that we are able to provide assistance across the whole of society in this time of need.

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“From me downwards the entirety of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces are dedicated to getting the nation through this global pandemic.”

Soldiers and councils are also being prepared to work with people suffering distress during self-isolation, amid official concern over the toll it could take on the mental health those already facing challenging circumstances, the Telegraph reports.

It emerged last night that new sweeping measures could include halting the tubes, and stopping all trains from entering the city after many Londoners continued to pack into the crowded tubes.

Already dozens of Tube stations will begin a partial shutdown from Thursday.

Pubs, restaurants and even all but food shops and chemists could be ordered to shut, and in one extreme scenario all but essential workers could be asked to stay at home all day.

The orders will leave London – where contagion is spreading faster – on the same emergency footing as Paris, Brussels and Milan where most people are largely confined to their homes.

In a dressing down to some Londoners who have flouted his appeal to avoid all unnecessary social contract, the PM reminded them that “everyone must follow the advice”

Source : The Sun | NewsColony: World News

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