National minute's silence honours workers who have lost their lives during coronavirus pandemic

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.

A national minute’s silence has been held to honour the frontline workers who have lost their lives in the battle against Covid-19.

The silence, observed at 11am, was part of International Workers Memorial Day.

The UK holds a minute's silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirushttps://t.co/bfDJEz9Di3 pic.twitter.com/ERkPhZWGUi

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 28, 2020

More than 100 NHS workers and care home staff have now died with the virus, as well as transport staff and other key workers.

Those in the health service who lost their lives include doctors, nurses, carers, cleaners, porters and bus drivers.

Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester

The silence had been campaigned for by the Unison union, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal of College of Nursing.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has just returned to work after recovering from Covid-19, was among those who joined the countrywide commemoration.

Dame Donna Kinnair, 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.”

Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak observe the silence

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

“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.”

Staff at various healthcare sites planned to gather safely where they could to remember colleagues.

In Scotland, a short ceremony was due to be held at Holyrood ahead of the silence, led by Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh, with a representative from each of the five parties also present.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was planning to mark the event at St Andrew’s House, joined by the health secretary, chief medical officer and chief nursing officer.

Elsewhere across the UK:

Flags were due to be flown at half-mast from Chorley and Royal Preston Hospitals.
Underground and bus networks in London were to be brought to a halt for the silence as the workforce honoured its colleagues.
In Northern Ireland, staff in the emergency department of the Ulster Hospital planned to form a guard of honour in the corridor “to show solidarity with our colleagues”.
In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford and Health Minister Vaughan Gething were expected to mark the silence at the Welsh Government headquarters in Cardiff.

Tuesday’s silence was in stark contrast to the enthusiastic, loud clapping which has become a weekly focal point across the UK.

Andrea Sutcliffe, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) chief executive and registrar, 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.