Builder gives chilling look inside new London coronavirus hospital with 1km hall, two morgues and space for 4,000 beds
CHILLING footage shows the inside of a temporary coronavirus hospital being built for a “high death toll” with two morgues and 4,000 beds Worker Alex Woodside filmed inside the London ExCel exhibition centre as Britain continues to be gripped by the deadly disease. ⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates The […]
CHILLING footage shows the inside of a temporary coronavirus hospital being built for a “high death toll” with two morgues and 4,000 beds
Worker Alex Woodside filmed inside the London ExCel exhibition centre as Britain continues to be gripped by the deadly disease.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
The Ministry of Defence and the NHS have joined together to create the NHS Nightingale hospital in East London, which will house 4,000 beds equipped with ventilators and oxygen.
It should be opened by April 4 with military medics working on the site to help stop the spread of the disease.
The worker posted a clip on social media showing the hospital’s main arena, which will span 1km once completed and have space for two morgues as the UK death toll continues to rise.
He said: “To be fair, I didn’t take this virus very seriously until I saw this this morning. There will be two morgues here. If you’re not taking it seriously like I wasn’t you really need to start. Because they’re preparing for a high death toll here.”
Matt Hancock previously revealed plans for NHS Nightingale, saying: “We will next week open a new hospital, temporary hospital, the NHS Nightingale hospital.
“With the help of the military and with NHS clinicians we will make sure we have the capacity we need so that everybody can get the support they need.”
Professor Stephen Powis, the National Medical Director of NHS England, said: “The NHS Nightingale is really an extraordinary feat.
“From a standing start, a day or two ago, a hospital will be built that will be able to take its first patients at the start of next week.
“That is a remarkable achievement, that our staff, working with the military have been able to work on.”
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East London’s Excel centre will have hundreds of operation beds available in the next few days, with more beds coming in the next few weeks.
MoD sources said: “These will be very big facilities, what exactly they will used for will be for the NHS.
“The first is in London but we will create a service that will support the entire UK.
“The first is being rolled out as we speak – it will be ready in a few days.
“Each region and nation will get similar to what London is getting.
“London is two weeks ahead of the rest of the country, and military planners are working what happens week to week, so I would expect to
see more across the country soon.”
The NEC in Birmingham is also being considered as another regional field hospital.
Military chiefs will also look to build more massive field hospitals across the nation in conference centres, football stadiums and cricket grounds.
The makeshift hospitals will be similar to those seen in coronavirus ground zero Wuhan, which were rapidly built as the virus took hold.
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It comes as coronavirus death toll today rose to 434 after 11 more people died in Wales and Scotland.
More than 8,000 people across the UK are infected by the deadly bug – with health authorities expected to release figures for England later today.
There are now fears that half of the UK population may have already contracted the virus.
Boris Johnson praised hero Brits today as he revealed 405,000 people have now volunteered to help the struggling NHS in the fight against coronavirus.
The Prime Minister, speaking at the daily press conference inside Number 10, said he wanted to offer a “special thank you to everyone who has now volunteered to help the NHS”.
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A 21-year-old woman has also been named as the UK’s youngest coronavirus victim with no existing health concerns.
Chloe Middleton is believed to be the UK’s youngest victim with no existing medical issues.
Her family said it should act as a wake-up call for people to take the Covid-19 pandemic seriously.
