CHELSEA have shown their class after Roman Abramovich vowed to give NHS staff FREE accommodation at the Millennium Hotel during the fight against coronavirus.
The Blues are making the Millennium Hotel at Stamford Bridge available to hospital staff who are tirelessly working around the clock during this coronavirus crisis.
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Chelsea will pay for NHS staff to stay at the Millennium Hotel at Stamford Bridge
Chairman Bruce Buck contacted the NHS to strike up the deal, with owner Abramovich generously covering all costs.
That is in spite of reports the Russian has seen his net worth plummet by £2.4BILLION over coronavirus.
Chelsea revealed the heart-warming news in a statement on their club website.
It read: “Chelsea Football Club is joining the medical response to the coronavirus outbreak in London with the news the National Health Service (NHS) has accepted the club’s offer to make the Millennium Hotel at Stamford Bridge available for NHS staff.
“The initiative came from club owner Roman Abramovich and, after contact with the NHS was made by chairman Bruce Buck, it was decided the best way Chelsea can assist the NHS is to provide accommodation for NHS staff.
“Mr Abramovich will be covering the costs of providing the accommodation.
“Many of the medical staff will be working long shifts and may not be able to travel home or would otherwise have to make long commutes.
“Local accommodation helps maintain the health and well-being of these crucial personnel at this critical time.”
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Chelsea continued by saying the free accommodation would run for two months, for now, and will reassess the situation when more information is available.
The statement added: “This will be for a two-month period, and then reconsidered in light of circumstances at the time.
“NHS staff will be those working in hospitals in the North-West London region, but that may extend to hospitals in other districts.
“The number of rooms utilised will depend on demand but potentially all the rooms in the Millennium Hotel could be given over for this purpose.
“No staff showing symptoms will use the hotel.
“Millennium Hotels and Resorts, who manage the hotel, are supportive and assisting the club in providing this service to the NHS.”
Chelsea were one of the first Premier League teams to reveal they were dealing with the coronavirus crisis.
Their Cobham training base was evacuated and cleaned after the squad were exposed to someone affected by the disease.
Callum Hudson-Odoi later revealed he had tested positive for the illness.
According to the latest figures, 1,950 have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK – with 71 people dying.
London is the most-affected area too, with 621 positive tests for the killer bug.
Britain saw its youngest victim die of the disease earlier this week, as 45-year-old dad-of-two Craig Ruston passed away.
Experts reckon at least 55,000 may be infected with Covid-19 – although many don’t exhibit symptoms, but can still spread it to healthy individuals.
And that has left the NHS spread incredibly thinly, attempting to tackle the global pandemic as well as their usual day-to-day duties.
Chelsea’s kind gesture will certainly help many exhausted workers, with a host of hospitals dotted around their Stamford Bridge Stadium, including the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital and Chelsea & Westminster Hospital.
Tammy Abraham and Reece James work up a sweat on exercise bikes as Chelsea stars stay fit at home amid coronavirus chaos
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
