Britain's Johnson leads tribute to key workers who died battling COVID-19

Britain's Johnson leads tribute to key workers who died battling COVID-19

Healthcare workers across the UK stood in the rain as they held a minute of silence before erupting into applause to commemorate workers who had lost their lives after contracting the new coronavirus.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday (April 28) led a nationwide tribute to health care and other key workers who had died from contracting COVID-19.

Britain has one of the world's highest death tolls - 21,092 hospital deaths.

Among those, 98 health and care service workers are known to have died after testing positive for the virus.

The Office for National Statistics said the death toll involving COVID-19 in England and Wales was 52% higher than the daily figures for deaths in hospitals released by the government as of April 17, according to official data that include deaths in the community.

Families of British health and care workers who die on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic will be paid 60,000 pounds ($74,472) as part of a new life assurance scheme, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday (April 27).