National landmarks light up blue to celebrate Covid heroes as the new 'Clap for Carers' salute returns

The nation rallied around the thousands of NHS staff and healthcare workers putting their lives at risk to help fight the spread of the coronavirus tonight as the Clap for Carers campaign made its return under a new name.

Thousands of Britons across the nation stood outside their doorsteps in solidarity with the frontline workers helping fight Covid-19 after England was plunged into a third national lockdown amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

The new campaign, which has been renamed Clap for Heroes, calls on people across the UK to applaud in appreciation of those helping in the fight against Covid and has been expanded to include 'every hero who has played their part through the pandemic'.

These include delivery drivers, postal workers, teachers, home-schoolers, neighbours, scientists, volunteers, all those who wear masks when out and those who have stayed at home and socially-distanced.

As the event began, national landmarks were also illuminated in blue in an effort to pay homage to the hundreds of frontline NHS workers as part of the #LightItBlue initiative, which began in March last year.

Along the South Bank, the London Eye was among the venues across the UK to light up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the country's key workers.

Elsewhere the capital's Shard and a Selfridges department store along Oxford Street were also illuminated in blue as the nation expressed their gratitude.

The scenes come after the founder of the Clap for Carers campaign, Annemarie Plas, 37, distanced herself from the event earlier today after NHS workers urged the general public to avoid taking part and instead respect the national lockdown.

Along the South Bank in central London the London Eye is illuminated blue in support of the frontline workers risking their lived in the fight against coronavirus

Meanwhile in Trafalgar Square, a blue light shines on the fountain in a gesture of thanks to the NHS workers and volunteers working on the frontline

Fountains are lit up in blue in Trafalgar Square in support of those helping in the fight against the pandemic after England was plunged into a third national lockdown

The Blackpool Tower is illuminated in blue as hundreds across the country show their support for frontline workers

A Selfridges department store on Oxford Street in London is lit up in blue and is emblazoned with the words 'let's change'

The Shard and the globe at the top of Madame Tussauds are lit up in blue as part of the #LightItBlue campaign by the NHS

Children in Surrey take to the streets to share their support of those helping fight the coronavirus on the frontline as the revamped campaign, which has been renamed Clap for Heroes, makes its return

People in Stockton, Teesside, poke their heads outside their windows and take part in the relaunched Clap for Carers campaign

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer take part in the first 'Clap For Heroes' outside their home in North London

A mother and daughter stand outside their home in Saltburn-by-the-Sea and take part in the new Clap for Heroes event

Tonight Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria led thousands of Britons across the country to pay tribute to the nation's NHS staff outside their home in north London.

In Stockton, Teesside, people poked their heads outside their windows to take part in the relaunched campaign while children in Surrey were spotted taking to the streets with their pots and pans.

The Royal family's Instagram account posted a message quoting the Queen's Christmas speech in which she paid homage to the nation's frontline services who 'still shine that lamp for us'.

Elsewhere, residents in Saltburn-by-the-Sea wore their face masks as they lined their thresholds and stood in their gardens to support care staff and frontline workers.

A group also began to gather outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London in an effort to show their appreciation of the vital work begin carried out by NHS staff.

It comes as Boris Johnson today announced he would bring in the Army to bolster the UK's coronavirus vaccination drive and claimed the NHS will be able to give 200,000 jabs every day by next Friday as part of ambitious lockdown-ending plans.

With the roll-out of vaccines the only light at the end of the tunnel, the Prime Minister reassured the public there are enough doses available to get all the top priority groups immunised by mid-February.

He also pledged to offer every care home resident a jab by the end of January and announced a new national online booking system that is hoped will speed up the process.

Mr Johnson's mammoth jab pledge — which critics fear he won't be able to deliver because it is over-ambitious — came moments after Britain recorded 1,162 Covid deaths in the second worst day of the pandemic. Department of Health data shows only April 21 had a worse death toll than today, when 1,224 victims were declared.

Earlier today the founder of the Clap for Carers campaign, Annemarie Plas, 37, who came up with the weekly ritual that ran for ten weeks during the first lockdown, distanced herself from the event after it was criticised by NHS workers.

Mrs Plas, a Dutch national who lives in Streatham, South London, said she had since been targeted with personal abuse and threats against herself and her family.

The mother-of-one claimed she now had 'no choice but to distance myself from this evening's national applause' - but insisted the event was not cancelled.

A couple join their fellow residents in Saltburn-by-the-Sea to take part in the relaunched campaign which sees people applaud the work of frontline workers

People stand outside their home in Marsden and clap for those helping in the fight against coronavirus after the nation was plunged into a third lockdown

Aria Pangan, 6, from Blackpool, joins the hundreds of Britons across the nation stood outside their doorsteps in solidarity with the frontline workers

A woman wears a face mask as she takes to the street in Saltburn-by-the-Sea and pays tribute to the thousands of workers on the frontline

A couple stand with their dog outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, as they join in with the applause tonight

Nuns sing and clap outside St. Anthony's Convent of Mercy in Sunderland tonight as they take part in the new Clap for Heroes campaign

School children at Teesside High School in Stockton-On -Tees take part in the new Clap for Heroes event as it makes its return to the country

Larry the Cat sits outside the door to 10 Downing Street as the Clap for Carers campaign makes its return to the nation

People stand outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, as the revamped campaign, which has been renamed Clap for Heroes, returns

Two women stand outside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital with their dogs as the Clap for Heroes campaign pays tribute to 'every hero who has played their part through the pandemic'

Zac, from Keele, Staffordshire, joins hundreds across the country as he stands outside his home to take part in the campaign

A woman claps outside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and a resident in Saltburn-by-the-Sea bangs on her pot as the clock strikes 8pm

A group of people stand outside their home in Stockton, Teesside, as the weekly event makes its return tonight

A woman dons a sequinned top hat and caries a mic as she takes part in the new Clap for outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Some residents emerged from their homes in Saltburn-by-the-Sea with pots while others took to the street to blow a whistle

A resident in South Shields, South Tyneside, stands on his doorsteps to take part in the new Clap For Heroes event tonight

A couple join other residents on a street in Saltburn-by-the-Sea as the nationwide campaign makes a return tonight

The scenes come after NHS workers urged the general public to avoid taking part and instead respect the national lockdown

A couple stand outside their house in Dover, Kent, in their dressing gowns to join in with the nationwide applause tonight

Elsewhere a street in Leicester appeared eerily quiet as the nationwide Clap for Heroes event began at 8pm tonight

How Annemarie Plas was inspired by similar Clap for Carers events in her native Holland

Annemarie Plas, 36, came up with the weekly Clap for Carers ritual that ran for ten weeks on Thursdays at 8pm during the first lockdown after being inspired by similar events in her native Netherlands.

The mother-of-one and yoga teacher, who is from Amsterdam, now lives in a three-bedroom house worth £550,000 in Streatham, South London, and is married to a British man.

She works as regional sales director for Objective Partners, a marketing consultancy based in her home city.

She has degrees in communications and law and previously worked in PR for the Dutch media firm Sanoma and communications group Starcom.

Mrs Plas originally thought her show of support for frontline workers might end up being just her and a few friends sharing a moment on Facetime.

But it turned into a huge national event each week, with millions of people lining their thresholds, gathering on pavements and standing in their gardens to show their support.

However the event was criticised for becoming politicised and Mrs Plas said it should finish in May, which it did before tonight's planned restart.

But Yazan Masannat, a surgeon for breast cancer patients at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, tweeted: 'We really don't want people to clap for us for doing our jobs.

'Just stay at home and avoid getting infected and infecting everybody else that is more helpful. #ClapForHeroes #CoronavirusUK.'

Mrs Plas came up with the 'spontaneous idea' as a way to show support for frontline workers battling Covid-19, and thought it might end up being just her and a few friends sharing the moment on video chat.

However, it quickly became a national tradition every Thursday at 8pm during the first lockdown.

Millions of people across the UK lined their thresholds, gathered on pavements and stood in their gardens to support care staff and frontline workers.

Speaking to BBC News yesterday, Mrs Plas said: 'A lot has happened, we are in the third national lockdown and I felt like a lot of other people. I wanted to help in any way I could to see if I could help lift the spirits just a little bit and connect the communities.

'That's why I thought it's a good idea to bring it back.'

Ms Plas explained that she was now using the term 'heroes' because 'everyone can be a hero'.

She continued: 'That's just a little change because now everyone can be a hero. As I said we are in a crisis, we are well aware of the pressures that the NHS are under, that carers are under.

'They are working around the clock, that's all they can do. People doing different things to show their appreciation.

'I know that the applause is just a simple gesture but I thought it would be nice to bring back. If we can in this way say thank you to everybody, even the volunteers, people that are shielding, people that are following the rules.

'Everybody is playing their part to get us through this again in such a challenging time and I thought using the word 'heroes' it can mean anybody because we are all doing the best that we can to get out of this as soon as we can.'

When asked if the wider public were more jaded about the event than they were last year, Ms Plas added: 'We know now what a lockdown looks like.

'We are still hearing the numbers are going up and if people have a different feeling towards for instance the applause I fully understand that. I only want to say those who feel they can help in any way, please join me.

'If you feel like you want to express your gratitude in another way do that but this is for those who want to join.'

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick. Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o

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