Published 12:03 IST, March 30th 2020
Coronavirus: UK to deliver 50,000 care packages a week containing food amid crisis
Amid the coronavirus lockdown, the UK government along with NHS said they will distribute 50,000 care packages to the most vulnerable people in Britain.
- World News
- 3 min read
Amid the coronavirus lockdown, the government of the United Kingdom said that they will distribute 50,000 care packages to the most vulnerable people in Britain by the end of this week. The packages, for those most at risk whom the government has asked to shield for the next 12 weeks, will contain vital food and supplies, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick reportedly said. It came after Jenrick announced council across the country were on an "emergency footing" to ensure those shielding themselves got the support they needed as vital public services continue.
People with several serious underlying conditions - including serious lung conditions - have been asked to avoid as much contact as possible with the outside world as part of Government plans to reduce fatalities. The government confirmed that the first batch of vital packages of those people had already been delivered - with 50,000 expected to be delivered by the end of the week.
The nobel act
The first 2,000 packages were delivered over the weekend to those who cannot leave their homes because of severe health conditions. The packages contain essentials such as toilet roll, pasta, fruit, and tinned goods and are being directed at that self-isolating for 12 weeks but have little support from family or friends. Jenrick tweeted and informed about the noble initiative. He took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "This weekend we began delivering parcels to some of the 1.5 million people extremely vulnerable to #coronavirus. We promised that whilst you are at home, you would not be alone."
On March 29, the death toll from Covid-19 in the UK reached 1,228 after a rise of 209 in just 24 hours. All parts of the country are now on an emergency footing, Jenrick said. Speaking at the government's daily press briefing, Jenrick was reportedly heard saying that this move of distributing packages is an unprecedented step in peacetime which the government has not done since the Second World War. By doing this act of kindness, the government said that they are establishing strategic coordination centers across the whole country.
Jenrick said each center would be led by gold commanders - police or emergency service leader specifically trained to handle major incidents. He added that the onset of this weekend sees the start of extraordinary steps to support the most clinically vulnerable, while they shield from coronavirus. Jenrick revealed that the government is all set to lend their hand of support to people in need at this difficult time, and the scale of an operation like that has not been seen since the Second World War.
Updated 11:54 IST, March 30th 2020