Prince William opens new UK emergency Covid-19 hospital

The hospital is the second of seven being constructed around England in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak which has killed nearly 13,000 people in Britain so far.

Prince William, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth, has opened an emergency COVID-19 hospital built in just eight days in the exhibition centre of Britain’s second city, Birmingham.

Britain's Prince William speaks via videolink as he officially opens the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, built in the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), in Birmingham, Britain April 16, 2020. (REUTERS)

William, the Duke of Cambridge, opened the new NHS Nightingale Hospital at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) via video link.

The hospital is the second of seven being constructed around England in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak which has killed nearly 13,000 people in Britain so far.

It has a 500-bed capacity, which can be increased to 1,500.

Over 400 civilian contractors, along with military personnel and about 500 clinical staff, were involved in its building.