New dawn for London as NHS staff 'risk health on packed Tubes' during coronavirus lockdown

Londoners woke up today to a new reality of quiet streets and shuttered stores — but serious overcrowding on the London Underground brought anguished appeals from medics for people to “stay home and save lives”.

Above ground, the cityscape was one of orderly compliance with the near-lockdown announced by Boris Johnson last night as millions of people stayed at home and most businesses obediently closed their doors to customers.

Underlining the national emergency, Army trucks drove over Westminster Bridge and past the House of Commons to deliver urgent supplies to St Thomas’ Hospital.

Below ground there was confusion and anger as passengers struggled to maintain social-distancing on platforms crowded with people trying to get to work on a stripped-down Tube service.

Commuters onboard a busy train at Leytonstone central station
PA

Junior doctor Katie Sanderson, 32, spoke up for the thousands of medical staff working in wards of sick and dying patients by appealing: “Please, please, please — think about what you can do to save lives.”

She spoke of doctors being overwhelmed with tears after seeing pictures on social media of crowded Tube carriages, knowing it inevitably meant more infections and higher mortality.

“We will look after your relatives with compassion, with care and love,” Dr Sanderson told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“But I don’t want to be overwhelmed with tears in the loo because somebody sends me a picture today of people queueing unsafely.

“This is going to be hard enough as it is. What we need to do is make sure every person sits down before they leave the house, stops and thinks about it.”

London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures

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Dr Sanderson said she was now having anguished conversations with families about whether they wanted loved ones to die at home or in congested wards.

“That could be your mother,” she said. “That could be you. There are health professionals in intensive care who are my age, 32.

“Please, please, please think about what you can do to save lives.”

Armed Police in Westminster talk to a jogger this morning
Jeremy Selwyn

Early indications were that public transport usage was down 25 per cent compared with yesterday as Londoners and commuters heeded the new government advice.

But Nurse Julia Harris, who commutes to Imperial College NHS Trust, said she had left earlier and changed her route to avoid crowds but still found the District line to be busy.

“I worry for my health more on my commute than actually being in the hospital.”

NHS sonographer Nicola Smith tweeted photographs of rammed carriages on her early commute: “This is my Tube this morning. I live in zone 4 and work in a zone 1 hospital. I love my job, but now I’m risking my health just on the journey in?!”

She issued a plea to the Mayor and the Prime Minister to sort it out. “Sadiq Khan — put the Tube service back to normal so we can all spread out, or Boris Johnson start policing who’s getting on. Help me!”

A senior NHS nurse, with more than 30 years experience, said he had to miss two packed Victoria line trains to get to his hospital from Finsbury Park. He told the Standard: “This morning I finally lost my patience with the very public the NHS are trying to protect.

“Its pointless for a nurse like me and my NHS colleagues to continue to work tirelessly trying to care for people with the virus while so many of the public are putting themselves at risk unnecessarily. Please consider your families and the NHS you swear you love.”

A commuter wears a mask as they travel on an underground train
Getty Images

Political arguments began to surface. The Evening Standard has learned that there was a division at yesterday’s Cobra meeting that set the new rules, where Mr Khan and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon both urged for a ban on construction work, while the Government decided that major projects could continue subject to social-distancing measures.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove said marshalling and checks may be needed to control the entry of passengers to the Tube and prioritise the NHS.

Responding to the images of packed carriages he said: “It’s not healthy. Wherever people can work from home. They should.”

Michael Gove arrives in Downing Street
Getty Images

He told LBC the Government wanted to see more trains for essential workers: “We hope to be able to ensure that we can support the Tube and London transport to run trains at a frequency in a way that people can practice social distance.”

Mike Brown, commissioner of Transport for London, joined pleas for the Government to ban construction activity, saying that self-employed construction workers were the main cause of early-peak hour crowding on the Tube.

“I am a little bit concerned about government advice,” he told the Standard, adding that 40 per cent of construction workers were self-employed with “no certainty” of their wages.

Circle line traveller Jay Atkins, 27, said: “I’m a crane operator and my site is still left open with over 200 people working. It’s really hard to be safe.

“We are stuck really, if the sites don’t close then we have to turn up to get paid. I’ve got family and kids at home who are staying in and I’m still out here bringing whatever I can catch home. It’s really scary.” Mr Atkins made clear he would rather be staying at home.

The Government was hoping to rush out a support package for self-employed workers and those in the gig economy. It will be the fourth emergency package from Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Mr Khan defended the reduction in public transport. He said 20 per cent of TfL staff were absent due to illness or self-isolation, making it impossible to run a full service.

In key developments:

  • A snap poll found the public overwhelmingly backs the Government’s new measures to tackle coronavirus. Some 93 per cent told YouGov they support new measures. Two thirds thought it would be “easy” to follow the new rules for three weeks, but 29 per cent said it would be hard.
  • Intensive care doctors and nurses were being supplemented by less experienced colleagues following what medical chiefs called a “surge” in Covid-19 cases.
  • Pharmacies called on the public to only buy medicines they need to avoid “creating difficulties” for others.
  • Sports Direct agreed to close its stores after government pressure.

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