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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Milo Boyd

Drones to deliver vital coronavirus medical supplies to hospital from next week

Drones will be used to transport vital medical supplies over the sea from next week.

Speaking at the Downing Street press conference this afternoon, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that a planned drone trial would be fast tracked.

From next week medical items will be attached to drones and flown over the Solent to the Isle of Wight, which is about 5km off the coast.

St Mary's Hospital on the island will receive the supplies to help it in its efforts against the coronavirus.

The announcement comes after £28m was awarded by the Government earlier this year to Southampton and Portsmouth councils to carry out drone trials.

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St Mary's Hospital will receive the medical supplies (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"I fast-tracked trials to begin next week to carry medical supplies and equipment," Mr Shapps told the news conference.

As of Wednesday the number of people who had died with the coronavirus on the Isle of Wight was 15, according to NHS England.

The number of confirmed cases at that point was 74, with 20 islanders having recovered from the disease.

At the conference Mr Shapps said there were "tentative signs" that progress is being made in the battle against coronavirus.

The hospital will be helped by the drones in its struggle against the coronavirus (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The drones will fly supplies over the Solent (Getty Images)

He said: "The continued operation of both passenger and freight transport is critically important to our resilience as a country.

"So today I am announcing a new package of measures to ensure transport boosts our national response to Covid-19."

Essential freight services will be aided by £17m for critical routes between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and up to £10.5m will be spent on ferry and freight services to the Isle of Wight and the Scilly Isles.

The funding will also provide support for routes between Britain and the European mainland, the department said.

A total of 31 supply routes into the country could be propped up by the funding package, in the hope that critical goods can continue flowing into the country.

Mr Shapps also paid tribute to the work of transport workers who have gone "above and beyond to keep vital freight and passenger services running".

He added: "The actions I have announced today will ensure that transport can continue to serve the nation during this crisis, keep us supplied with everything we need to stay at home, yet also ensure that infrastructure required to emerge from this pandemic stands ready to serve us all when that time does arise."

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