Foreign Secretary Raab announced that thousands of British nationals would be flown home after being stranded by COVID-19 .
Transmission of the virus within the community was thought to be decreasing , and hospital admission data suggested cases were not rising as fast as anticipated.  late March , it was announced that the NHS would be establishing a network of NHS Nightingale Hospitals , temporary emergency hospitals set up in major conference centres to help to deal with the large number of cases expected .