Britain will soon start making ventilators to take the strain off the NHS, a minister said today.
Robert Jenrick, who is housing minister, said the UK has received the first prototypes of the machines already.
They are designed to support the NHS in its battle to fight the coronavirus pandemic. More than 5,000 people have been diagnosed with the flu-like virus in the UK so far.
Mr Jenrick, MP for Newark, Nottinghamshire, said: "We've been overwhelmed by offers of support. There's now a number of manufacturers who are working with us.
“We're in receipt of some of the first prototypes, and we expect that manufacturing can start quite quickly.
“We do need more, and we're trying to ramp up production as quickly as we can.”
Singer entertains care home residents with his list of 250 classic hits
Meanwhile, a hero singer has been performing in the gardens of care homes to keep the residents’ spirits up.
Steve Linn, 38, belts out classic tunes like We’ll Meet Again and These Boots Are Made For Walking.
The quarantined residents, most of whom are elderly, watch from inside and behind windows. They often join in by singing and dancing in the lounges of the care homes across Bournemouth, Dorset.
"I was on holiday just before all this really kicked off and came back to find that most of my bookings were cancelled,” the performer said.
"It was just a quick idea off the top of my head to sing from outside because I thought I was going to lose my livelihood.
"I've been amazed how well it's gone with care homes recommending me to others and getting me more performances.
"I now sing to around 40 care homes and it's amazing to see the looks of residents' faces when they see me arrive.
"The last few weeks have been a really tough time to be involved in care homes and I love the fact I can lift people even if it's just for an hour.”
Liverpool FC stewards to volunteer at busy supermarkets
Stewards at Liverpool Football Club, meanwhile, are volunteering to help with crowd control and assisting the elderly with their shopping at supermarkets.
Peter Moore, the club’s chief executive, said on Twitter : "Message to supermarket managers here on Merseyside. Our stadium stewards here @LFC are offering their time and expertise in volunteering to help with crowd control, queue management, parking control, assisting the elderly and infirm taking their groceries to their cars, etc.
"They are truly the best in the business and would be delighted to help in whatever way you would deem appropriate (and safe) on your premises.”
Over the past few days images have been shared of chaotic scenes at supermarkets as long queues form for groceries, while a number of branches have introduced restrictions to prevent panic buying during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
