Britain's Prince Charles, who came out of self-isolation earlier this week after being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, on Friday inaugurated a new makeshift hospital in east London to treat the COVID-19 patients via videolink.
The 71-year-old heir to the British throne formally opened the 4,000-bed NHS Nightingale Hospital, created within days at the ExCel conference centre in London's Docklands, from his Birkhall home on Queen Elizabeth II's Balmoral estate in Scotland, where he has been working from home.
"It is without doubt a spectacular and almost unbelievable feat of work in every sense, from its speed of construction in just nine days as we've heard to its size and the skills of those who have created it," said Prince Charles.
"An example, if ever one was needed, of how the impossible could be made possible and how we can achieve the unthinkable through human will and ingenuity, he said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who continues to display "mild symptoms" of the COVID-19 as he self-isolates in Downing Street, issued his statement of gratitude via Twitter.
He said: "Thank you to everyone involved in building the new NHS Nightingale Hospital over the past fortnight. This immense effort means we will have an extra 4,000 beds to care for the coronavirus patients."
Johnson completes his seven-day isolation period on Friday and was last seen on the doorstep of No 10 Downing Street on Thursday night, when he joined the rest of the country in a weekly "clap for carers" initiative to applaud the frontline National Health Service (NHS) staff battling against the deadly virus.
Thank you to the NHS and all of our critical workers for all you are doing to fight coronavirus. You really are an inspiration, he said, as Downing Street is yet to confirm if the UK PM has fully recovered and is ready to come out of self-isolation yet.
The NHS Nightingale Hospital is one of a number of makeshift hospitals being set up across the UK to address the massive demand for hospital beds amid the rapid spread of the COVID-19.
The UK remains under strict social distancing measures with the aim of trying to control the spread of the deadly virus and keep the numbers requiring hospital treatment within manageable levels as the death toll continues to mount and near 3,000.
In these troubled times with this invisible killer stalking the whole world, the fact that in this country we have the NHS is even more valuable than before, said Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary who himself came out of self-isolation this week after his COVID-19 diagnosis.
It is the best of efforts. It is the best of the NHS. And it is the best of Britain to come together in these difficult circumstances to put together such a facility, at such pace, that will be there for people so that we can give the very best care. And so that as a nation we can come through this crisis in the best way we possibly can, he said, in reference to the new hospital.
London's Nightingale hospital initially has 500 beds in place, with space for another 3,500. It will care for patients with the virus in intensive care who have been transferred from other London hospitals.
Staff from across the NHS will be working there, including student nurses, medical students who have started work early and former doctors, nurses and other staff who have come out of retirement.
The ExCel exhibition space usually used for large events such as the annual Travel Mart and other business conferences is the first of several Nightingale Hospitals planned in England.
Two more will be built at the University of the West of England in Bristol and the Harrogate Convention Centre. Others are due to open at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre and Manchester's Central Complex.
In Wales, more than 6,000 extra beds are being set up in temporary hospitals in sports and leisure facilities, including Cardiff's Principality Stadium. In Scotland, a temporary hospital of around 1,000 beds is being built at Glasgow's Scottish Events Campus (SEC).
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