NHS Employees Who Die During Pandemic Receive Appropriate Tribute At New Blossom Memorial Garden | United Kingdom | New UK News

More than 230 health and primary care workers have died during the coronavirus pandemic, but the exact number is believed to be much higher as many have yet to be identified in the public domain. Many of those who died were of Asian and ethnic minority origin.

And now, to mark the 73rd anniversary of the health service, the NHS has hosted a special memorial service at Blossom Memorial Garden in east London.

The service was held to remember NHS colleagues who died during the pandemic.

The service was led by Andrew Copson, Executive Director of the Humanist Society and included speeches by Prerana Issar, Chief People office of the NHS, Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, President of the Association of Medical Royal Colleges and Elaine Thorpe , intensive care nurse.

NHS Human Resources Director Prerana Issar said: ‘Each of the colleagues who have sadly passed away caring for and protecting patients represents an irreplaceable gap in a family and a workplace.

“Although this is a private event for families and some colleagues in the NHS, I encourage everyone to take a moment on Saturday to reflect and remember.

“It is no exaggeration to say that health service staff have helped keep the country running during the pandemic, and while NHS staff have been rightly celebrated for their contribution, we know the role played by other key workers – the people who keep supermarkets open, garbage collectors, daycares and other utilities – along with the resilience of the general public, has helped ensure we can start moving forward.

“The best way for everyone to say thank you to NHS staff and other key workers is to join the tens of millions of others who have so far received their first and second dose of the Covid-19 vaccination,” and book your jabs today. “

Images from the event show masked NHS staff lining up to place pink roses on a memorial.

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Many of the staff were present in their uniforms and were photographed bowing their heads in memory of their friends and colleagues who sadly passed away.

It comes after landmarks across England marked the 73rd anniversary of the NHS by lighting up blue.

The Wembley Arch, the Liver Building in Liverpool, Salisbury Cathedral and vaccination centers across England are among the more than 70 sites that have been illuminated in blue today.

Football stadiums, town halls, churches, hospitals and bridges in different parts of the country have also followed suit.

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To date, more than 128,000 people across the UK have died after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Overall, 4,855,169 cases of the disease have been recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic.

According to data from NHS England, a total of 65,932,869 Covid-19 vaccinations took place in England between December 8 and July 2.

This included the first and second doses, which is an increase of 250,234 from the previous day.

NHS England said 37,859,897 were first doses, an increase of 107,959 the day before.

While 28,072,972 was a second dose, an increase of 142,275.

Despite the number of successful vaccinations, some British doctors have said they want certain restrictions on Covid-19 to be maintained in England after July 19.

The British Medical Association wants people to continue using face masks and has called for renewed attention to ventilation properties after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Chairman of the Board of the BMA, told Sky News: “These data, coupled with some increases in hospitalizations, suggest that it would be completely wrong in a public health interest to remove on July 19 any restrictions… or to give the public the expectation that we have a pre-COVID society where no one has to take action to prevent the spread. “