UK mourns front-line workers who have died from coronavirus

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. held a minute's silence Tuesday for all front-line workers who have died from the coronavirus, as official figures showed a new weekly high in the total number of deaths in England and Wales.

As clocks struck 11 a.m., senior political leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, joined hospital and nursing home staff in observing the silence. London's subway and bus networks came to a halt as workers honored colleagues, and Westminster Abbey paid tribute to "the sacrifice of health and care workers who have lost their lives in the service of others."

On Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said 82 workers in the National Health Service and 16 social care staff had died so far. Other workers, including a number of bus drivers in London, have also died after testing positive for COVID-19.

The minute's silence had been campaigned for by the Unison union, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal of College of Nursing.

Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said it was “important to pay tribute” and urged all front-line workers be “afforded the greatest protection.” The government has been criticized for not having sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment.

“An even greater task now remains — to stop more joining the tragic number of those who have died," she said.

Johnson, who returned to work on Monday after recovering from COVID-19, tweeted that the country "will not forget you.”

Johnson has said he won't risk a second peak in the virus by relaxing the lockdown restrictions too soon. The country, he said, was at the point of “maximum risk” even though it was coming out of the “first phase of this conflict.”

Ministers have been reluctant to talk about easing...