The British Armed Forces will begin delivering and distributing essential medical and personal protective equipment to National Health Service (NHS) facilities.
They have already delivered some 50,000 face masks to London's St Thomas' Hospital on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said in a statement.
"What you’ve seen today is a British Army convoy delivering Personal Protective Equipment right to the frontline of the nation’s response to the Coronavirus challenge. But this is more than just delivering masks — this is a demonstration the British Army is standing side by side with the NHS," Brigadier Phil Prosser said Tuesday.
According to the MOD, a two-truck convoy arrived at the hospital early in the morning to deliver the masks after driving overnight from an army depot in Merseyside, some 200 miles away.
“My normal role is to deliver combat supplies to combat forces in time of war — but we can respond to these challenges and it’s great to stand with our NHS colleagues as we get ready for the challenges ahead...there are some tough times ahead and the nation needs to rise together to respond to those times," Prosser added.
In its statement, the MOD confirmed that military planners are currently advising the NHS on "logistical measures to ensure vital equipment gets to where it’s most needed," adding that the Army's Logistical Brigade Command has deployed planning staff to help develop a plan for "possible long-term commercial solutions" and further support.
"More than 460 personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force will be ready to deliver the equipment to NHS facilities around England, while further personnel will deploy to a PPE warehouse to prepare the equipment for dispatch," the MOD said.
"Personnel will deliver items to 242 NHS locations to help them cope with rising demands for equipment in response to the coronavirus outbreak," the statement added.