More than 70 staff at UK's Great Ormond Street hospital test positive for coronavirus

Children's hospital sees a further 318 off sick as they or relatives have symptoms

Great Ormond Street children's hospital is pictured in London on March 10, 2020. Great Ormond Street announced on Tuesday that it had cancelled surgery on any children with serious heart problems, for two weeks, after a health professional working there was diagnosed with the coronavirus COVID-19. / AFP / JUSTIN TALLIS
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Eight patients and more than 70 medics at the world's leading Great Ormond Street hospital have tested positive for coronavirus.

A further 318 staff at the London children's hospital are self-isolating after they or their relatives showed symptoms, according to former World Health Organisation director Anthony Costello.

In a tweet he said: "I received this circular to all staff from Great Ormond St Hospital today. 73 out of 181 staff have tested positive and 318 staff members off sick."

On Thursday, a further 569 people in the UK died overnight from coronavirus.

Earlier this week Muslim schoolboy Ismail Abdulwahab became the youngest person in the UK to die from the virus at the age of 13.

Mr Costello said his contact also raised concerns that protective masks were not being worn in non-clinical areas of the hospital.

He added: "An informant tells me "social distancing in the hospital is a fiction. Whatever the inadequacies of PPE for patient contact my concern is about the use of masks in non-clinical hospital areas. Many team members do handovers in a small office space without the use of masks.”

The British government has come under fire over the lack of protective equipment for frontline staff.

On Thursday 57-year-old nurse, Thomas Harvey, was named as the fifth NHS medic to die of coronavirus.

He had previously raised concern about the lack of equipment.

Late on Thursday, the UK government issued new guidance on equipment use.

Dr Katherine Henderson President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: "We are pleased our concerns have been listened to and the inherent risk to the frontline recognised.

"It is essential that healthcare workers are protected so we can treat patients with confidence – this guidance helps us to do that."

In the past two weeks the NHS Supply Chain has delivered 397 million pieces of PPE equipment, including masks, to NHS trusts and 58,000 healthcare providers.