CBF’s Statement - COVID-19 Briefing
Here’s the opening statement by Commodore Tim Henry, Commander British Forces Gibraltar, from yesterday’s COVID-19 briefing:
Chief Minister, thank you for inviting me to join your daily press conference today; a physical and visible manifestation of how closely British Forces Gibraltar has been working alongside and in support of the Government of Gibraltar. I thought it might be useful for me to explain what we have been doing as part of Gibraltar’s response to COVID-19.
Firstly, and closest to Gibraltar’s hearts, is our Regiment, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
At the start of the emergency, a large number of the RG were on exercise in the UK and having completed the essential training to remain in date to meet their operational commitments, a decision was made to bring them back early in order that they could be ready to support any requirements here. At the same time, as the Spanish State of Emergency started to be imposed, those that don’t have a home in Gibraltar, but rather live in Spain, were directed to return to the Rock. Many of those chose to bring their families with them and they continue to live in temporary accommodation here for the duration of the emergency.
To date, the Government of Gibraltar have made two requests for military support from the UK, these are generically described as MACA (or Military Aid to the Civil Authorities). The first was for a pool of manpower to support general activity around setting up the Europa Point Hospital and other preparations in Gibraltar. So far, the RG and elements of the civilian manpower around British Forces Gibraltar have helped the GHA with moving equipment, setting up some of the fencing and setting up some elements of the facility at Europa. With those major works complete they have returned to Devils Tower Camp but are ready to provide further support if deemed necessary and appropriate.
The second MACA request was for the support of my medical staff here in Gibraltar. As many will know, the Princess Royal Medical Centre in Devils Tower Camp is no longer a small cottage hospital; simplistically it now provides GP and dental services to the Military community. But the medical staff that work there bring vast experience at operating in austere and more challenging places – be it on a ship in the middle of an ocean or during an operation or exercise in the middle of a desert. That experience and those skills have supported the Gibraltar Health Authority as it leads on ensuring that all aspects of medical support are optimised for the COVID-19 emergency. Practically, military medics have trained alongside the Ambulance Service, ready support if needed; and they have provided some of the swabbing teams at the Rooke Site, easing the load on the GHA.
And beyond these two MACAs we continue to support Gibraltar. The Gibraltar Defence Police are working alongside the RGP, HM Customs and the Border and Coastguard Agency in ensuring that we abide by the lockdown rules and keep our most vulnerable safe.
RAF Gibraltar including the NATS Gibraltar and the Met Office, along with the Airfield Fire and Rescue Service, continue to keep the airfield open and safe, thus assuring our aviation links with the UK. This has allowed the RAF to support the supply of medical stores to the GHA and, last week, a consignment of PPE was delivered on the A400 aircraft that came in – but it also allows the MOD to continue to provide a sovereign and assured airfield which is entirely dependable and can be relied on to support operations further afield.
And, of course, on the water the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron continue their daily vigil around BGTW and beyond. The element of the port operated by the MOD remains ready, as it always is, to support the Royal Navy and our Allies. In fact, this morning we saw the MOD chartered vessel, the MV EDDYSTONE, arrive from Southampton with routine stores.
Finally, my workforce, supported by their families and friends and our contractors, have gone out of their way to ensure that they continue to deliver all that is asked of them under these extraordinary circumstances. And, as is always the case, British Forces Gibraltar will continue to work closely with the Government of Gibraltar as we deal with the realities presented to us by the virus and our response to it.
