This evening the UK will come together for a national salute to honour the hardworking NHS staff and all carers working hard through the coronavirus outbreak.

In a gesture of thanks to the frontline healthcare heroes, everyone across the nation has been invited to join a mass round of applause from their doorsteps, gardens, windows and balconies on Thursday 26th March at 8pm.

Organisers of the "Clap For Carers" campaign - which started online - say it is being staged because "during these unprecedented times they [NHS staff] need to know we are grateful".

The person behind the campaign wrote on its website: "In Spain, France and the Netherlands they already did this. And being a Dutch Londoner, I want to pass this on in the country I feel so at home, and the NHS had been nothing but amazing to my family and myself!"

Landmarks such the Wembley Arch, the Principality Stadium, the Royal Albert Hall and Lincoln Cathedral are set to be lit up in blue during the salute. It is part of the #lightitblue campaign which has been organised by members of the events and entertainment industry as a way to say thank you.

In a statement, organisers said: "The events and entertainment industry finds itself in an unprecedented state of enforced inaction.” 

"The best thing we can do - apart from staying at home - is to use our skills and networks to say thank you to everyone who is supporting the NHS and risking their own health to help others during this pandemic."  

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Never have we owed so much to our brilliant and hardworking NHS staff. Just as they are caring for us, we need to care for them and give them every ounce of support they need. I welcome this fantastic initiative to encourage the public to show their appreciation to all our NHS workers." 

It comes as the total of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK since the start of the outbreak neared 10,000.
As health professionals battle the spread and tend to the patients, more than half a million people have also signed up to be NHS volunteers to support in the crisis.

Staying up to date

The government is continually providing updates. For the latest information and advice please visit Public Health England.

There is also guidance for health professionals on the NHS website www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

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