Politicians and public across UK remember key workers who have died during pandemic

This article is more than 4 months old

This article is more than 4 months old

Britain’s political leaders joined NHS staff and members of the public in a nationwide silence for key workers who have died in the coronavirus outbreak.

The minute’s silence on Tuesday morning came less than 10 days after health and public sector unions called for such a tribute to remember the health, care and other key workers who have died from coronavirus.

At 11am, doctors and nursers broke off from their work to stand in silence, two metres apart, to remember their colleagues lost to the virus. They did so inside hospitals and in some cases outside them in the rain.

People across the UK observed the sombre tribute to remember all those in frontline services who have died, including carers, cleaners, porters and bus drivers. Some took part in the silence in supermarket aisles.

Boris Johnson, on his second day back in work after recovering from Covid-19, stood in silence from his place at the cabinet table, flanked by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and the cabinet secretary, Mark Sedwill. The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, an early backer of the idea of a minute’s silence, stood at his desk in the opposition leader’s office.

Scotland’s first secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, stood outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh. In Wales, the first minister, Mark Drakeford, and the health minister, Vaughan Gething, marked the silence at the Welsh government headquarters in Cardiff.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Boris Johnson observes the minute’s silence at 10 Downing Street in London. Photograph: Reuters

Dame Donna Kinnair, the chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “I am heartened to hear how many people took part in the minute’s silence to honour the memory of staff who have tragically died during the pandemic.

“We thought it was important to pay tribute publicly to those who have lost their lives to the virus, and I am proud that so many took the time to do so this morning.”

She issued an urgent call for protection of workers, saying the death toll must not be allowed to rise further.

She said: “An even greater task now remains – to stop more joining the tragic number of those who have died. All key workers, healthcare staff among them, must be afforded the greatest protection.”

Flags were flown at half-mast from Chorley and Royal Preston hospitals and outside the London ambulance headquarters.

Underground and bus networks in London were brought to a halt for the tribute as the workforce honoured its colleagues.

In Northern Ireland, staff in the emergency department of the Ulster hospital formed a guard of honour in a corridor “to show solidarity with our colleagues”. Senior nurse Roisin Devlin told PA Media: “In healthcare, teamwork is so important and, when you lose a member of that team, it is like losing a family member.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, observes the minute’s silence outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh. Photograph: Reuters

Tuesday’s silence – held on International Workers’ Memorial Day – was in stark contrast to the enthusiastic, loud clapping that has become a Thursday night ritual across the UK.

Andrea Sutcliffe, the chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said: “Our tribute in silence today is as important as the noisy cheering for the NHS, social care and key workers on a Thursday evening.”

The Society of Occupational Medicine, whose members include more than 1,700 doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and technicians, has said the goal should be zero work-caused fatalities.

It is calling for the government to prevent any further work-related deaths and for employers to carry out risk assessments so people can safely return to their jobs whenever the lockdown is eased.

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