Coronavirus latest news: Prince Charles hails NHS Nightingale hospital: ‘In this dark time, this place will be a shining light

THE Prince, undertaking the first ‘virtual’ plaque unveiling in British royal history, appeared via video link to officially open the building.

Saying it was an “example of how the impossible is made possible and how we can achieve the unthinkable through human will and ingenuity,” he spoke of the “immense debt of gratitude” the nation owes all those working tirelessly to fight coronavirus.

Appearing on a screen from his home at Birkhall, Scotland, in front of a backdrop of family photographs, he said he was “one of the lucky ones” who suffered Covid-19 with only mild symptoms.

The hospital at the ExCel Centre in east London will initially provide up to 500 beds equipped with ventilators and oxygen, but the capacity will be increased so accommodate roughly 4,000 patients.

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