‘Hardworking and loving’ father is third Heathrow worker to die with coronavirus

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Tributes: Terry Gill worked for Air India

The family of one of three Heathrow workers to die with suspected Covid-19 today paid tribute to a “hardworking and loving” father.

Terry Gill, a father of three and grandfather of seven from Southall, had worked for Air India for more than a decade but died in hospital on Monday, two weeks after falling ill.

His death follows those of two Border Force officers and comes amid calls for staff to be provided with more protective equipment to screen them from incoming passengers.

Mr Gill’s son, Dharmender, 42, who also works at Heathrow, said: “It’s difficult to put into words what dad meant to us. He was a hardworking and loving family man. The hardest thing about all this was not being able to see him before he died.”

He added: “He started getting ill about two weeks ago and was taken to hospital. The doctors tested him for coronavirus, it was positive.”

Mr Gill worked in flight control at the airport where he assisted with arrivals, departures and counter management at the Air India desks.

The first confirmed Heathrow death was Terminal 3 Border Force officer Sudhir Sharma, 61, who died last month. He is not believed to have contracted the virus at work.

The death of a second Border Force officer, who is reported to have fallen ill while at work, was announced yesterday. He has not been named so far but is understood to be in his fifties and from west London and to have had no known underlying health problems.

Border Force director Nick Jariwalla paid tribute to the “dedicated and professional officer, known for his kindness and generosity”.

The news has prompted calls from the Public and Commercial Services union for passport and customs staff to be equipped with more personal protective equipment. General secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The Home Secretary must intervene and ensure our members can go to work fully protected.”

Figures published this week by Heathrow showed more than three million passengers arriving last month despite the huge cancellation of flights. A Heathrow spokesman said the airport had “increased thorough cleaning processes and increased availability and provision of hand sanitiser”.

The Home Office said Border Force staff did not wear protective equipment routinely but, in line with Public Health England guidance, it was available to those who have close contact with a person displaying symptoms.

Meanwhile, tributes were paid today to a student nurse described as “compassionate and inspirational” who has joined the list of NHS workers to die with Covid-19.

Ade Raymond, 47, was studying at Middlesex University to become a mental health nurse and was in the first year of a BSc. He had worked for many years at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust as a health care assistant.

Jinjer Kandola, chief executive of the trust, described Mr Raymond as “highly respected”.

Good Morning Britain weather presenter Alex Beresford, 39, said he felt “trapped and powerless” after lockdown rules meant he could not see his family following the death of his step-grandmother. He tweeted: “My lovely step-grandmother died on her own tonight. I can’t even go to my mum’s to hug her.”

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