3,000 armed forces reservists to aid coronavirus response

Up to 3,000 armed forces reservists are being called upon to aid the military response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ministry of Defence stated that individuals with specialist skills will provide medical and logistical support to the NHS, engineers and accountants, with the government having identified the units and individuals it will need and notified their employers.

Reserves who are already working in the NHS or delivering front-line services will not be called up.

The MoD has already set up a 20,000-strong coronavirus response force to help in the fight against the outbreak, though only a few thousand full-time military personnel have so far been deployed to help with delivering protective clothing to the NHS and building the Nightingale Hospital in east London.

The news comes as the UK once again saw its biggest daily increase in deaths - 563 - taking the overall toll to 2,352.