The family of a dad who was rushed into hospital after contracting coronavirus and could be induced into a coma have pleaded with Brits to take the "killer" virus seriously.
Fit and healthy Middlesbrough dad-of-four David Timney saw what appeared to be a common cold deteriorate rapidly as Covid-19 took hold following a trip to Amsterdam.
The 55-year-old has been left in intensive care as he battles to overcome the killer virus, while his family are desperate for people to "wake up" to the dangers.
Son Luke expressed his frustrations at seeing photos of crowds heading to tourist spots, including beaches and queuing for ice cream over the weekend.
Luke, 30, and his family are currently not allowed to visit his dad in hospital due to the seriousness of his condition, or see his mum who is in isolation at home.
The dad-of-two told TeessideLive : "The virus is real, it is a killer and it is here in our town - act now and responsibly before you or your loved ones fall ill."
With David facing having to be placed into an induced coma, Luke continued: "My family cannot visit him and we cannot comfort my mother as she is now having to self isolate at home.
"If this isn't the wake up call people need to stop socialising then I don't know what is."
David, from Park End, returned from a holiday in the Dutch capital a couple of weeks ago and had symptoms of a cold before restrictions were put in place and the situation was less understood.
But his condition later rapidly worsened before he was rushed to James Cook Hospital over the weekend.
Luke, of Acklam, said his dad was "fit as a fiddle" before contracting Covid-19.
He said his dad gradually developed a sniffle and cough before taking a turn for the worse and being taken to hospital via ambulance with breathing difficulties.
Referring to people ignoring official Government advice to avoid public gatherings at the weekend, including Roseberry Topping, he said: "It's frustrating, I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.
"I think what it is, is a case of people genuinely not understanding the severity or the seriousness of it.
"It's not just them they are putting at risk, it's their family as well.
“Listen to the advice, the Government is saying if you are going to go out, make sure you keep the distance or better yet stay home, act as if you have already got it,” he added.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has since put the country into unprecedented lockdown yesterday for three weeks as the death toll climbed to 336, with all non-essential shops now closed.
In a sober address, he said: “I know the damage that this disruption is doing and will do to people’s lives, to their businesses and to their jobs.”
He added: “At present there are just no easy options.
“The way ahead is hard, and it is still true that many lives will sadly be lost.”
The lockdown is being introduced by a Government regulation under the Public Health Control of Diseases Act 1984.
The PM spent days resisting mounting demands to trigger a Covid-19 shutdown.
Monday saw another 46 deaths in England, four in Wales and four in Scotland.
The disease could kill up to 70,000 people unless lockdown measures are beefed-up, research suggests.
