A shocking picture of a suspected coronavirus patient being rushed to hospital in London poses a stark warning to Britons who refuse to to observe social distancing rules ‘making full lockdown of the capital inevitable’.’
Disturbing images show medics carrying an elderly patient from a nursing home in Primrose Hill yesterday as the capital faces Italian-style measures to combat Covid-19.
Masked police officers watch as health workers place the senior citizen in an ambulance outside the Carole House complex.
The images surfaced just hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned people who weren’t following Government advice on social distancing that they have just 24 hours to take the measure seriously.
As an 18-year-old from Coventry, West Midlands, became the youngest person to die of the virus in the UK, Mr Johnson threatened to exert stricter controls to help fight the outbreak.
A source told The Times that a total lockdown could be inevitable, telling the paper that the PM would have the total support of Cabinet were he to execute the measures.
Pictured: Medics load a patient into an ambulance after taking the elderly resident from a nursing home in Primrose Hill, north London, as the Prime Minister condemned people for putting others’ lives at risk by not observing the Government’s advice on social distancing
The senior citizen was helped to an ambulance on Sunday as it was also revealed that the youngest person to die as a result of coronavirus in the UK was 18
Mr Johnson spoke out after crowds flocked to seaside resorts to celebrate Mother’s Day.
Britons were seen disobeying the rule of standing six feet apart as the country’s total number of cases hit 5,683.
With 281 people now known to have died from the virus in the UK, the PM used his daily press conference to warn there was ‘no doubt’ he would act to close open spaces and limit all movement outside homes if people continued to act foolishly, but stopped short of immediate action.
He later added: ‘I don’t think you need to use your imagination very much to see where we might have to go, and we will think about this very very actively in the next 24 hours.’
Mr Johnson told the nation it was only ‘two or three’ weeks behind Italy where the death toll has already risen above 4,000 making it the worst outbreak anywhere in the world.
There were 47 new cases identified in the UK on Sunday alone, with Britain’s youngest victim to date dying at University Hospital, Coventry.
Mr Johnson said that unless the UK could control the spread of the virus through social distancing, the NHS would be ‘overwhelmed’ in the same way that the Italian healthcare system had been.
The surge in cases of the virus comes on the day Mr Johnson urged families to stay apart and instead celebrate Mother’s Day via Skype and other remote communications.
In a tough message to the public from Downing Street this afternoon, Mr Johnson said that even though he understood the physical and mental health benefits of open spaces, he would take drastic steps to protect health.
In a tough message to the public from Downing Street, Mr Johnson said: ‘Even if you think you are personally invulnerable, there are plenty of people you can infect.
Teenager dies of coronavirus in UK: Boy, 18, from Coventry is one of 47 new deaths in 24 hours as toll hits 281 and total cases leaps 665 to 5,683
By David Wilcock, James Tapsfield, Will Cole and Jack Wright for MailOnline
A teenager, 18, has became the youngest person to die of coronavirus in the UK as the victim is one of 47 new deaths in 24 hours with the toll hitting 281 and total cases leaping by 665 to reach 5,683.
Boris Johnson has warned that people not following social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus outbreak are ‘putting other people’s lives at risk’ as he hinted he could ban all Britons from leaving their homes if they don’t keep six feet apart.
It came as an 18-year-old, from Coventry, died of Covid-19, marking the UK’s youngest fatality as 47 new victims brought Britain’s death toll to 281.
Pictured: Crowds take to Victoria Park in East London on Sunday despite advice from the Government to keep six feet apart
Professor Kiran Patel, who is chief medical officer at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Hospitals NHS Trust, told The Sun: ‘We can confirm that sadly a patient who was being treated for significant underlying health issues has passed away at University Hospital, Coventry.’
Professor Patel added: ‘Our thoughts and condolences remain with the patient’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.’
Yesterday 665 new cases were recorded – with Boris Johnson threatening to shut parks if people don’t keep their distance.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the UK is now at 5,683 and the Prime Minister warned the British public today that they had 24 hours to take social distancing measures seriously or he will implement an Italian-style total lockdown, after thousands continued to flout anti-coronavirus measures.
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside! Visitors continued to flock to seaside resorts today including this one in West Bay, Dorset
The PM used his daily press conference to warn there was ‘no doubt’ he would act to close open spaces and limit all movement outside homes if people continued to act foolishly, but stopped short of immediate action.
He later added: ‘I don’t think you need to use your imagination very much to see where we might have to go, and we will think about this very very actively in the next 24 hours.’
Earlier, in a message to the nation, the Prime Minister warned Britain was only ‘two or three’ weeks behind Italy where the death toll has already risen above 4,000 making it the worst outbreak anywhere in the world.
He said that unless the UK could control the spread of the virus through social distancing, the NHS would be ‘overwhelmed’ in the same way that the Italian healthcare system had been.
People packed Bournemouth esplanade this morning (Sunday). Paddle boarders and swimmers braved the cold temperatures despite fears over the global coronavirus outbreak
However the deputy chief medical officer for England, Dr Jenny Harries, cautioned against comparing the UK’s figures too closely with other countries’.
‘As you go through a sharp rise in numbers, which we will see going forward, you have to be careful to be comparing too precisely,’ she said. ‘We will look back in due course, sadly, and see the true number of people who have died from coronavirus.’
It followed appalling scenes as Britons across the UK flocked to beaches and parks up and down the country to take a stroll with their loved ones for Mother’s Day, despite social distancing advice from the government surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
The surge in cases of the virus comes on the day Mr Johnson urged families to stay apart and instead celebrate Mother’s Day via Skype and other remote communications.
In a tough message to the public from Downing Street this afternoon, Mr Johnson said that even though he understood the physical and mental health benefits of open spaces, he would take drastic steps to protect health.
He suggested the UK could copy some of the more extreme lockdowns in other parts of Europe, such as Italy and France.
‘I don’t think you need to use your imagination much to see where we might have to go,’ he said. ‘We will think about this very, very actively in the next 24 hours.
‘We need to think about the kinds of measures that we have seen elsewhere, other countries that have been forced to bring in restrictions on people’s movements altogether. I don’t want to do that because I have tried to explain the public health benefits.’
The remarks are a ramping up of pressure from Downing Street but are likely to result in increased demands for the action to take place immediately in line with other nations – with some saying it should have been done already.