The ExCeL centre, which played host to seven Olympic and six Paralympic sports at London 2012, is expected to have the capacity for up to 4,000 patients.

The makeshift field hospital will initially provide around 500 beds with oxygen and ventilators.

Called the Nightingale Hospital, the facility will be staffed by National Health Service (NHS) medics, alongside the military.

It has been established amid growing fears over the strain being placed on the NHS by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to latest figures, Britain has reported more than 8,200 cases of COVID-19 and 433 deaths.

Britain's Government this week imposed stricter measures on the public as part of its efforts to curb the spread of the virus and ordered people to stay at home where possible.

The virus has so far killed more than 19,000 people and infected over 440,000 worldwide.

Boxing, fencing, judo, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling events were held at the ExCeL at the London 2012 Olympics.

The venue, where runners collect their numbers for the annual London Marathon, also staged boccia, judo, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, table tennis and wheelchair fencing at the Paralympic Games.