The chief nurse of England pleaded with people to stay indoors after two nurses, aged 39 and 36, passed away from coronavirus.
Ruth May said it is important for the people to stay at home despite a mini-heatwave sweeping the country.
39-year-old Aimee O’Rourke, a mother-of-three, died at the QEQM Hospital in Kent after testing positive for COVID-19.
Only hours later, 36-year-old Areema Nasreen passed away in intensive care at Walshall Manor Hospital in West Midlands.
Both nurses were put on ventilators but couldn’t be saved.
“This weekend is going to be very warm and it will be very tempting to go out and enjoy those summer rays,” said Ms. May at a news conference. “But please, I ask to remember Aimee and Areema. Please stay at home for them.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said the public should resist the urge to go out. “If we do people will die,” he said.
Ms. May expressed condolences to the nurses’ families, colleagues and friends and said she feared more healthcare workers will die.
“They were one of us, they were one of my profession, of the NHS family. I worry that there’s going to be more and I want to honour them today and recognise their service,” she said.
The family members of Ms. O’Rourke and Ms. Nasreen also begged people to take coronavirus seriously.
A relative of Ms. Nasreen said: “The immediate family are devastated. Everyone is in shock this morning. She was always so full of life. She was devoted to her job as a nurse, she absolutely loved it. She passed away doing what she loved.
“I’m really sad for the rest of the family, she was a fantastic person.”
Ms. O’Rourke’s friend, Hannah Walden, wrote on Facebook: “Yesterday heaven gained a beautiful young lady.
“I was lucky to know her and work with her when I worked for CDU (clinical decision unit) QEQM. You were an amazing nurse and mum sleep tight Aimee O’Rourke God bless.”
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Replaced!