Nineteen health workers have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus. the health secretary has revealed.
Mr Hancock told BBC Breakfast on Saturday: “My heart goes out to their families, these are people who have put themselves on the front line.
“The work is going on to establish whether they caught coronavirus in the line of duty while at work or whether, like so many other people, caught it in the rest of their lives. It is obviously quite difficult to work that out.
“What matters is we pay tribute to their service.”
He added: “I’m particularly struck at the high proportion of people from minority ethnic backgrounds and people who have come to this country to work in the NHS who have died of coranavirus.
“I find it really upsetting actually and it is a testament to the fact that people who have come from all over the world have come and given their lives in service to the NHS and paid for that with their lives.
“I think we should recognise their enormous contribution.”
