2020-04-06_Daily_Express

Daily Express Monday, April 6, 2020 9

safe to use. It comes just

days after the Government

announced it would send

over 1.7 million pieces of

PPE to NHS staff.

A source said: “It’s not

on the mask itself, just the

box. It makes you question

whether they hoped staff

wouldn’t bother looking.

“At the moment staff feel

it’s a case of flipping a coin

whether they get Covid.”

South Western

Ambulance Service NHS

Trust said: “Some products

may appear to have

out-of-date ‘use by/

expiration’ dates.

“Be assured products we

are issuing have passed

stringent tests that

demonstrate they are safe.”

trains – are critical workers,

making a heroic effort to

allow our NHS staff to save

more lives.

“But we need to play our

part too and that means

fewer Londoners using the

public transport network.

“Please follow the rules.

Stay at home and do not use

public transport unless it is

absolutely unavoidable.”

Gareth Powell of TfL said:

“We have been extremely

saddened to hear of the

recent passing of our

colleagues. Our thoughts are

with their families

and friends.

“Our clear message to

Londoners is simple – the

transport network is only

for critical workers who

need to make absolutely

essential journeys.

“Please, everyone else,

stay at home, don’t travel

and save lives.”

By Liz Perkins

By News Reporter

By Michael Knowles

Home Affairs Correspondent

BRITISH VICTIMS

Temporary morgue

to hold 5,000 bodies

THIS sobering image shows inside a temporary

morgue being built at a disused military base –

which could eventually hold more than 5,

bodies, according to a worker there.

Two hangars at RAF Upper Heyford, Oxon, have

been converted to hold 600 corpses each.

Work is ready to start on two further hangars and

five more are on standby if the death toll spirals –

bringing the total capacity to 5,400.

Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed that a

temporary mortuary is being set up at the former

RAF base to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The worker, who asked to remain anonymous,

said: “It is for storage for bodies infected with

coronavirus and they’ll be in body bags and laid on

the shelves.

“As of Monday they can start putting bodies in.

Undertakers and NHS staff are refusing to touch

the bodies so they have got the military in, who’ll

be taking the bodies in rental vans.”

Chilling... hangar to store corpses at former RAF base

LONDON Mayor Sadiq

Khan begged Londoners to

avoid the public transport

network after five bus

drivers died from

coronavirus.

Yesterday unions were

demanding more protection

for transport workers

following the deaths.

Mr Khan said that “lives

depended” on people

following Government rules

to stay at home unless travel

was essential.

It comes amid fears tens

of thousands of key workers

are at risk of contracting the

deadly Covid-19.

Mr Khan said: “I’m

absolutely devastated to

hear that five London bus

workers have tragically lost

their lives after testing

positive for coronavirus.

“My thoughts are with

their friends and families at

this awful time. I have been

clear that our incredible

public transport staff – on

Taking precautions...London bus driver wears protective mask the buses, tubes, trams and

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NHS staff fighting the

coronavirus have been

supplied with expired face

masks by the Government.

Pictures show an unsealed

and unopened box of 3M

masks with two later “best

before” stickers stuck over

the original expiry date

printed, of 24/05/2012.

The box was said to have

arrived at Exeter-based

South West Ambulance

Service last Thursday.

Despite a large 31/05/

expiry stamp on its side, a

picture reveals yet another

large yellow 31/05/16 best

before date underneath.

Sources claim the

confusion was flagged “to

director level” of NHS

management but the reply

was the Government had

tested the masks so were

Expired...a mask stamp hidden beneath a later date label

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Sixties star

Marianne can

barely speak

SINGING legend Marianne Faithfull can

“barely speak” as she is treated in

hospital for coronavirus, her ex-

husband has said.

John Dunbar also said the star was

not allowed any visitors.

Her manager Francois Ravard

wished a “speedy recovery” to the

songwriter and actress, 73, who was

being treated in a London hospital.

He said: “She is stable and

responding to treatment. We

all wish her well and a full and

speedy recovery.”

Her friend, the performer Penny

Arcade, told Rolling Stone magazine

Marianne had decided to self-isolate

after suffering a cold.

She then decided to go to hospital

earlier last week where it was

confirmed she had Covid-19. The star

has pneumonia.

On Facebook Penny said: “Marianne

Faithfull is in hospital in London

having tested positive for Covid-19.

She went in this past Tuesday.

“Please pray for her! She has

withstood and survived so much in her

life – including being Marianne Faithful

• that to be taken down by a virus
  would be such a tragedy.
  “I spoke to her last week and she
  was hiding out from the virus but she
  has caregivers and someone brought
  in to her.”
  She rose to fame in the 1960s with
  her hit single As Tears Go By, later
  starring in The Girl On A Motorcycle
  (1968) and for four years was Mick
  Jagger’s lover.

Stable...

Marianne

Faithful in

2017 and,

inset, in

her Sixties

heyday

Picture: TIM MERRY