What did Boris Johnson say in the coronavirus press conference today?
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation again today about the UK's ongoing fight against coronavirus.
Downing Street hosts a press conference every evening where the latest measures to stop the spread of the deadly bug are outlined.
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What time was the coronavirus press conference today?
The daily coronavirus press briefing takes place between 4pm and 6pm UK time.
Most previous conferences have taken place just after 5pm from Downing Street.
Today's took place around 5pm with Boris Johnson addressing the nation.
Journalists also dialled in virtually to ask questions in order to practice social distancing this evening.
What was announced in the briefing?
Prime Minister Johnson took the opportunity to reiterate that we must stay at home in order to help slow the spread of the virus.
He also thanked the NHS and public services including teachers, transport workers and the police force.
The PM also revealed 405,000 people have volunteered to help the NHS in just 24 hours and the UK has done more testing than most other European countries.
When asked whether the government is coping under the coronavirus outbreak, Mr Johnson said: “When you look at the sheer scale of what the government is doing to get the country through, we will cope and we are coping very well indeed under the most challenging circumstances.”
What was unveiled in yesterday's announcement?
Health secretary Matt Hancock announced that a temporary hospital will be opened up at London's ExCel Centre to help treat up to 4,000 patients.
He said: “I can announce today that we will next week open a new hospital. A temporary hospital – the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel Centre in London.
“With the help of the military and with NHS clinicians, we will make sure we have the capacity that we need so that everyone can get the support they need.
“But no matter how big we grow the NHS, unless we slow the spread of this virus then, as we’ve seen, those numbers will continue to rise.
“And that’s why it’s so important that everybody follows the advice and stays at home.”
“In three weeks’ time we will be able to say whether or not the path that we’ve followed needs any further intensification, or whether there are one or two of the existing restrictions that may be capable of being lifted.”
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Why is the government holding daily briefings?
Johnson and his senior cabinet ministers had been criticised for a lack of regular updates into what is happening with the coronavirus outbreak.
Among them was Sir Keir Starmer – a candidate to become the next Labour leader – who called for daily press conferences.
The Shadow Secretary said he was “deeply concerned” that “ministers have been failing in their responsibilities to provide consistent and transparent public health advice”.