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Virgin Atlantic staff to assit with vaccine rollout
Virgin Atlantic is working with the NHS and St John’s Ambulance service to secure voluntary and paid work for its staff at mass vaccination centres set up to support the rollout of the Covid jabs.
Many of the airline’s staff are currently furloughed and since some have medical training Virgin says they’re offering their time and skills to support the NHS.
They will be ‘rigorously trained’ to administer the vaccine, look after patients or manage the logistics of the vaccine centres, say Virgin.
Since the start of the pandemic, Virgin Atlantic staff have volunteered at the temporary NHS Nightingale hospital and with the London and St John Ambulance services, providing critical support.
Virgin Atlantic has flown over 1,500 tonnes of essential medical supplies including respirators,’ ventilator parts,’ face masks, scrubs, testing kits, aprons and eye protection and PPE equipment into the UK.
Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operating Officer, said: "The mass vaccination programme is the only solution to beating this pandemic and we’re committed to help in any way we can, to support gearing up vaccinations as fast as possible.
"We are very proud of our highly skilled people at Virgin Atlantic and since the beginning of the crisis we have received an amazing response with hundreds keen to sign up and support the NHS and frontline emergency services."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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