The Health secretary is preparing to call up an army of three million volunteers to reinforce the NHS as it battles against coronavirus.
Willing volunteers are being asked to give up a few hours so that they can be mobilised to support healthcare staff in hospitals, nursing homes and community centres across the country.
And those offering their time are expected to have their permanent job protected by legislation due to reach the commons in the coming days.
A total of 42 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the UK today, bring the number of cases in the UK to 209. A man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s have died from the virus on British soil.
It comes as officials fear the UK could switch from a ‘contain’ plan for the virus to a ‘delay’ phase as early as this week, where the government will try to halt a major outbreak before the summer months.
Matt Hancock has called for an army of volunteers for the NHS to support staff in hospitals, nursing homes and community centres. He is pictured at the British Chamber of Commerce
There are 209 cases of coronavirus in the UK after an additional 42 were reported today
Health secretary Matt Hancock has promised the government will do everything it can to ‘contain’ COVID-19 as ‘public safety is my top priority’.
‘I want to ensure Government is doing everything in its power to be ready to delay and mitigate this threat,’ he said.
‘Responding to coronavirus is a massive national effort and I’m working with colleagues across government to ensure we have a proportionate emergency bill, with the right measures to deal with the impacts of a widespread Covid-19 outbreak.
‘Every person has a role to play in managing the spread of Covid-19 – whether that’s washing your hands more often for 20 seconds or catching your sneezes.’
The emergency legislation is expected to also include measures to allow court proceedings to be conducted via telephone or video, and to give employees additional safeguards so that their jobs are not put in jeopardy.
Any emergency powers approved by the government would last for two years, reports The Mirror.
Matt Hancock is expected to put the emergency legislation before the commons this week
Worried Brits have been clearing supermarket shelves as they stock up on foods ahead of a possible lock down of areas in the country
Tesco has said that it will limit how many banked beans customers can buy
Businesses including Goldman Sacs, S&P Global and HSBC have already evacuated offices in Canary wharf after employees were diagnosed with the virus, while companies are telling employees that have recently returned from countries experiencing an outbreak to stay at home.
His words came as former Conservative Chancellor Philip Hammond warned that the spread of coronavirus had the ability to push the UK into a recession and deliver a greater economic impact than Brexit.
He told the Sunday Times the government must address a ‘critical and structural weakness in just-in-time supply chains’ which are exposed to the virus’s impact on businesses.
The FTSE 100 has dived by more than ten per cent since February 20 as coronavirus has swept the globe.
The Queen is reportedly aiming to lead the nation in its response by ‘keeping calm and carrying on’ for as long as possible, a senior palace source told the Mail on Sunday.
She will attend the Commonwealth Day service in Westminster Abbey tomorrow along with eight other members of the royal family where she will greet representatives from 54 Commonwealth countries.
The Queen is aiming to lead the nation with a calm response. The sovereign is determined to carry on as normal until that is no longer possible
Boris Johnson is due to have another emergency committee meeting on Monday
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair another meeting of the government’s emergency committee, Cobra, on Monday as officials delegate tasks before preparing to delay the outbreak.
Meanwhile sports governing bodies and broadcasters will attend a meeting with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to discuss how to handle the outbreak’s possible impact on the sporting calendar.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle will chair a meeting of the House of Commons Commission to discuss Parliament’s response.
And Environment Secretary George Eustice will hold further talks with retailers to discuss support for vulnerable groups who may have to self-isolate.
It follows reports that sales of basics such as pasta and tinned goods have shot up, while shelves of essentials including toilet roll and paracetamol have been cleared in some areas by people panic-buying.
The Department of Health said it had tested a further 21,000 people for the virus on Saturday and that NHS 111 had taken on an additional 500 staff to deal with 120,000 extra calls it is receiving.