Families of U.K. frontline health workers and social care staff who die from COVID-19 will each receive a £60,000 payment, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced on Monday.

Hancock said in a press briefing that 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff had died with the virus so far.

While condoling with the affected families, the Health Secretary said he felt a "deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones."

"Today, I am able to announce that the government is setting up a life assurance scheme for NHS and social care frontline colleagues," he said.

"Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a £60,000 payment.

"Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief."

The Health Secretary also said the government was also looking at other frontline professions who do not have access to a life insurance scheme.

The U.K is one of the most affected countries by COVID-19, having registered 154,038 infections and 20,797 fatalities. Globally, COVID-19 cases have exceeded three million with the death toll going beyond 208,000.

(With input from Sky News)