A coronavirus has also claimed the lives of a 61-year-old father and his 33-year-old daughter.

Officials do not believe Sudhir became infected with the incumbent Covid-19, as the last time he was at work was on January 7, making it possible that he might have been infected elsewhere.

But one source said: "An absolute tragedy. He was a very loving and kind man. Every immigration officer is talking about him. His wife cannot attend the funeral due to isolation rules. This is so terrible! �

Sudhir, from Hounslow in west London, is thought to have had health problems in recent years, forcing him not to go to work at certain times.

But his colleagues said he had recently returned to office, as before. Pooja, who worked at Eastbourne County General Hospital in Sussex, is believed to have spent 3 days receiving medical care before the virus struck her life.

Nick Jariwalla, head of the Heathrow Border Force, said last night: "Sudhir was a very respected, kind and experienced officer. He will be greatly missed by all of us."

A Pooja friend posted: â??I'm really sorry to hear that one of our pharmacists and a friend of mine from university, Pooja and her father, have died. Their souls rested in peace. Heartfelt condolences to their families. â?

They added: "Please, please, please let family and friends take this very seriously and isolate, as much as possible, at least for families, if not for themselves."

A Heathrow worker said: "The first signs of coronavirus came in December and we were still taking flights from Wuhan when the pandemic began. They did some traveler examinations before the flights were finally canceled, but flights from China generally continued. Even when they were limited, we had hundreds of people leaving Hong Kong with Chinese passports. They simply bypassed the block. We were accepting flights from northern Italy until six weeks ago. And there are still flights coming from Madrid and the US. "

"All we are given to protect is a disinfectant and gloves, but not face masks. Even the control staff at the supermarket have these now. This is crazy. We had a passenger a few days ago, a Serb who flew from the US to see his girlfriend in the UK. He was denied entry, but the US refused to take him back, so now he has remained an immigrant here, "he added.

The source said they were still clearing visas for people abroad to return to the UK in the midst of the crisis. Why?

"The middle management is very supportive, but the directors and assistant directors, who work from home or in an office, have done very little to help. There are probably 300 staff at each terminal. They should have been closed weeks in advance. first. �- he concluded.