Boris Johnson says the UK is making ‘extensive preparations’ to move into the delay phase of the plan to contain the spread of coronavirus – trying to push the peak number of cases into the summer, when the NHS is better able to cope.
Speaking alongside the Prime Minister, the Government’s chief medical advisor warned that soon, cases of the virus would spread ‘really quite fast’ – at which point anyone with even a minor fever may have to self isolate afterwards for seven days.
A fifth death from the virus was confirmed in the last hour.
Our health and social care correspondent Victoria Macdonald reports.