The British Royal Navy's HMS Tyne shadows the Russian corvette Steregushchiy, in UK waters, in this undated handout obtained March 26, 2020. (Royal Navy/Handout via Reuters)
Britain’s Navy said on Thursday it had shadowed seven Russian warships after detecting high levels of activity by Russian vessels off its coastline.
“The Navy has completed a concentrated operation to shadow the Russian warships after unusually high levels of activity in the English Channel and North Sea,” the Royal Navy said in a March 26 statement.
The announcement comes as the Royal Navy prepares to help Britain’s health service and other government departments deal with the response to the CCP virus outbreak.
The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide.
An undated image of British Royal Navy's HMS Mersey, which has been shadowing seven Russian ships alongside eight other Royal Navy vessels in UK waters, in this handout obtained March 26, 2020. (Royal Navy/Handout via Reuters)
The Royal Navy could be drafted in to help run prisons in England and Wales under emergency plans to combat the outbreak.
Prison bosses are to have the option to call on Navy resources if too many corrections officers fall sick with COVID-19 and are unable to come to work, The Times of London reported.
Other pillars of the British military are also leaning forward amid the outbreak, with the Army helping to convert the ExCeL London conference facility into a pop-up hospital.
The temporary hospital will initially provide up to 500 beds equipped with ventilators and oxygen. If needed, capacity will later increase, ExCel London said in a statement, potentially up to several thousand beds.
Meanwhile, the Royal Navy said that despite the added burden of assisting with COVID-19 efforts, it would not neglect its basic mission.
“As the Armed Forces are helping the NHS save lives in the UK, it’s essential the Navy continues to deliver the tasks we have always performed to help keep Britain safe,” said Lieutenant Nick Ward, HMS Tyne’s Executive Officer.
“This is very much part of routine business for HMS Tyne and represents one of the many roles our patrol vessels perform in support of the Royal Navy’s commitments.
“This is our core business and represents an enduring commitment to uphold the security of the UK.”
An undated stock image of British Royal Navy's HMS Kent, which has been shadowing seven Russian ships alongside eight other Royal Navy vessels in UK waters, in this handout obtained March 26, 2020. (Royal Navy/Handout via Reuters)
The British Navy said that its intake of new naval recruits would continue but with some parts of the process adapted to accommodate the government’s response to the outbreak.
“To help ensure the safety of staff and the wider community, Naval Service Careers Advisers in AFCOs have ceased face-to-face interaction,” the Navy said in a statement. “They will be operating via telephone and digital communications and working to continue to support your application.”
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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