Doctors, nurses, fundraisers and volunteers who have made outstanding contributions to the UK’s coronavirus response will be recognised in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list on Saturday 10 October.
The list, which was due to be published in June, was postponed in order to consider nominations for people playing crucial roles during the first months of the COVID-19 effort.
Now, following approval from Her Majesty the Queen, hundreds of additional people will be honoured for their contributions tackling the virus on the frontline and in their communities. They will appear alongside recipients that were already due to be recognised for a broad range of achievements before the pandemic.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
As we all redouble our efforts to control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives this Winter, I am pleased we have an opportunity to recognise those who have given so much to this country already.
The coronavirus pandemic is the greatest health challenge in our lifetime. We all have to play our part, but the dedication, courage and compassion seen from these recipients, be it responding on the frontline or out in their communities providing support to the most vulnerable, is an inspiration to us all.
We owe them a debt of gratitude and the 2020 Queen’s Birthday honours will be the first of many occasions where we can thank them as a nation.
This year’s bumper list follows the Prime Minister’s call in May for nominations for those going over and above in response to the pandemic.
As the first list to incorporate COVID-19 nominations during the ongoing pandemic, the 2020 Queen’s Birthday list has prioritised frontline and community heroes. These recipients, like Captain Sir Tom Moore, are outstanding examples of the contributions which still being made right across the UK, and are symbolic of the ongoing, collective national effort.
The honours system is just one of the ways in which tribute will be paid to people across the country for their efforts in response to COVID-19.
