More than 20,000 retired NHS staff have returned to help fight Coronavirus

30 March 2020, 07:25 | Updated: 30 March 2020, 07:59

Boris Johnson updates the nation from isolation

Boris Johnson has revealed 20,000 former NHS staff have returned to work.

The Prime Minister has revealed 20,000 former NHS staff have returned to help fight coronavirus.

Boris Johnson, who is currently self isolating in Number 11 after being diagnosed with COVID-19, released a video message on Twitter last night, saying the UK “will get through the crisis together.”

You can find the latest Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice from the NHS here.

In a two-and-a-half minute message, Mr Johnson thanked the doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who have returned to the NHS.

He also praised the 750,000 members of the public who have volunteered to help the country through the pandemic, as well as pharmacists for "not only dispensing vital medicines but also, very often, reassurance to the customers they interact with".

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“We are going to do it, we are going to do it together,” he said. 

Adding: "One thing I think the coronavirus crisis has already proved is that there really is such a thing as society.

"We are going to do it, we are going to do it together.”

The video also revealed that the public appears to be obeying the lockdown restrictions as train use is down 95% and bus use down 75%.

The video comes after England's deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries, said it could be six months or more before the UK gets back to normal from the pandemic.

At the daily Downing Street briefing on Sunday, Dr Harries said lockdown measures would be lifted gradually and reviewed every three weeks. 

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She said: "We need to keep that lid on and then gradually we will be able to hopefully adjust some of the social distancing measures and gradually get us all back to normal.” 

Before adding: "It would be foolish of us to start something one day and assume it's going to have an impact the next.”

Dr Jenny Harries late warned the public: "We must not then suddenly revert to our normal way of livin,” as this would be "quite dangerous" and could risk a "second peak" of the virus.

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