'We salute you': Queen pays tribute to Britain's army of volunteers including 405,000 who stepped up to boost the NHS in just 24 HOURS following government appeal - as Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus
- Ministers had appealed for helpers to bolster NHS, do shopping, and deliver medicines to the vulnerable
- Boris Johnson said tonight the number of volunteers had topped 400,000, equivalent to Coventry population
- People can sign up to the NHS Volunteer Responders by going to https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHS
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
The Queen has paid tribute to the army of 405,000 volunteers who stepped up to boost the NHS in just 24 hours following a government appeal - as Prince Charles tested positive for coronavirus.
The PM hailed the response from the public after the target number of 250,000 was smashed in less than 24 hours. He said he wanted to give a 'special thanks' to those who had come forward.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock had appealed last night for volunteers to carry out tasks such as ferrying patients to hospital and bringing food and medicine to those isolated.
![The Queen is pictured calling Boris Johnson to thank the army of volunteers who have stepped in to help the NHS as it continues to battle the coronavirus crisis](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/03/25/19/26407696-8153089-image-a-12_1585164944453.jpg)
The Queen is pictured calling Boris Johnson to thank the army of volunteers who have stepped in to help the NHS as it continues to battle the coronavirus crisis
![Boris Johnson is pictured speaking with the Queen today as she praised the selfless volunteers who have stepped up to ease pressure on the NHS during the pandemic](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/03/25/19/26407698-8153089-image-a-16_1585165000736.jpg)
Boris Johnson is pictured speaking with the Queen today as she praised the selfless volunteers who have stepped up to ease pressure on the NHS during the pandemic
![Prince Charles - who has tested positive for coronavirus - is pictured at Westminster Abbey with the Queen on Commonwealth Day, March 9, in central London](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/03/25/19/26408302-8153089-image-a-28_1585166125384.jpg)
Prince Charles - who has tested positive for coronavirus - is pictured at Westminster Abbey with the Queen on Commonwealth Day, March 9, in central London
The premier said at a press conference tonight: 'That is already in one day as many volunteers as the population of Coventry.'
It emerged earlier that some 170,000 answered the call overnight. And Mr Johnson said the numbers had kept stacking up during the day. The PM offered a 'special thank you to everyone who has now volunteered to help the NHS'.
'When we launched the appeal last night, we hoped to get 250,000 volunteers over a few days,' he said. 'But I can tell you that in just 24 hours, 405,000 people have responded to the call.'
The Prince of Wales, 71, tested positive yesterday and is in self-isolation on the Balmoral estate in Scotland. His wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, has tested negative but fears remain for the Queen and Prince Philip, after Charles saw his mother on March 12.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/03/25/21/26412938-8153089-image-a-36_1585172514368.jpg)
The Queen and Prince Philip had already travelled to Windsor Castle before the announcement from Clarence House today, after moving to the royal estate last Thursday.
A royal source said Charles' doctor's most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13 - 24 hours after 'briefly' meeting his 93-year-old mother the Queen.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Her Majesty remains in good health. The Queen is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare'.
It is not known if the monarch has been tested for coronavirus but she is said to be on lockdown and not even close family members can see her. William and Kate, meanwhile, are at Anmer Hall in Norfolk and Meghan and Harry remain in Canada.
The UK's coronavirus death toll has jumped by 43 to 465, but England only sees an additional 28 more fatalities, down from 83 on Tuesday. Twenty-eight more patients died overnight in England. Six more patients died in Scotland, five in Wales and four in Northern Ireland.
They included a 47-year-old who did not have an underlying health condition. The others who died, including one person aged 93, did have underlying health conditions.
In contrast, eighty-seven infected Brits died the day before. Despite the fall in deaths, the country saw a record spike in cases in yesterday, with 1452 more patients known to have caught the virus.
Scotland only announced two deaths yesterday, while Wales confirmed just one. Both countries have now had 22 coronavirus victims.
Northern Ireland this afternoon announced two more fatalities as well as two last night, taking their total to seven deaths.
But the true size of the outbreak is being hidden because of the Government's controversial decision to only test patients in hospital. The true size of the outbreak is likely to be closer to the 400,000 mark.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/03/25/18/26404852-8152383-image-m-42_1585160242253.jpg)
Boris Johnson hailed the response from the public after the target number of 250,000 was smashed in less than 24 hours
![The website for NHS Volunteer Responders says it has been 'set up to support the NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/03/25/16/26382354-0-The_website_for_NHS_Volunteer_Responders_says_it_has_been_set_up-a-27_1585153895958.jpg)
The website for NHS Volunteer Responders says it has been 'set up to support the NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak'
![Boris Johnson (pictured at Downing Street today) has been under pressure for his handling of the coronavirus crisis](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/03/25/16/26400236-0-Boris_Johnson_pictured_at_Downing_Street_today_has_been_under_pr-a-29_1585153895963.jpg)
Boris Johnson (pictured at Downing Street today) has been under pressure for his handling of the coronavirus crisis
The website for NHS Volunteer Responders says it has been 'set up to support the NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak'.
'To do this we need an ''army'' of volunteers who can support the 1.5m people in England who are at most risk from the virus to stay well.
'Our doctors, nurses and other professionals will be able to refer people in to NHS Volunteer Responders and be confident that they have been matched with a reliable, named volunteer.'
The sheer numbers of people involved will raise concerns over whether they can be provided with personal protection equipment - PPE.
However, the roles listed on the site suggest they will not come into direct contact with infected individuals, or those at risk.
Members of the public can sign up to help as a 'community response volunteer', which involves 'collecting shopping, medication or other essential supplies for someone who is self-isolating, and delivering these supplies to their home'.
Other roles will see people transporting patients, NHS supplies and equipment, or speaking to those at risk of loneliness on the phone.
Unveiling the 'NHS Volunteers' drive at a press conference in Downing Street last night, Mr Hancock said: 'We are seeking a quarter of a million volunteers, people in good health to help the NHS, for shopping, for the delivery of medicines and to support those who are shielding to protect their own health.'
He said 11,788 recently retired NHS staff had responded to the appeal from the government to return to the service. They included 2,660 doctors, more than 2,500 pharmacists and other staff and 6,147 nurses.
'I pay tribute to each and every one of those who is returning to the NHS at its hour of need,' Mr Hancock said.
Some 5,500 final-year medics and 18,700 final-year student nurses would 'move to the frontline' next week. The UK's death toll from coronavirus hit 422 yesterday amid fears the outbreak is accelerating.
Britain also saw a record spike in cases, with more than 8,000 patients now known to have the infection. But the true toll is likely to be closer to the 400,000 mark, scientists say.
Mr Hancock said a new makeshift hospital at the ExCel centre in London will be called the NHS Nightingale Hospital and would be open by next week.
He said it would have two wards and have a capacity for 4,000 people. It is understood it will be up and running by Saturday 4th April.
He said: 'We will next week open a new hospital, a temporary hospital. The NHS Nightingale hospital will comprise two wards each of 2,000 people.
'With the help of the military and with NHS clinicians we will make sure we have the capacity we need so that everyone can get the support they need.
'But no matter how big we grow the NHS unless we slow the spread of this virus then as we have seen those numbers will continue to rise and that is why it is so important everyone follows the advice and stays at home.'
![NHS England medical director Stephen Powis revealed today that the numbers were already approaching the target - with 170,000 offering to help overnight](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/03/25/16/26381820-0-NHS_England_medical_director_Stephen_Powis_revealed_today_that_t-a-28_1585153895962.jpg)
NHS England medical director Stephen Powis revealed today that the numbers were already approaching the target - with 170,000 offering to help overnight
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