Britons answer call for volunteer coronavirus force
London: Around 170,000 people signed up within hours of a British government call for volunteers to help those stuck at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, the health minister said Wednesday.
Matt Hancock unveiled a plan on Monday to create a 250,000-strong volunteer force to help deliver groceries and medicines to the most vulnerable people instructed by the government to self-isolate. This is larger than Britain's armed forces, which currently stand at just over 192,000.
"We're delighted that overnight 170,000 people have signed up to volunteer to support our NHS tackling coronavirus," Hancock tweeted, referring to the state-run National Health Service (NHS). The government has closed all non-essential shops and services and told people to stay at home to try to stop the spread of COVID-19, after 422 deaths and more than 8,000 cases in Britain. - AFP