In a sombre news conference in Downing Street, Boris Johnson has warned that coronavirus is causing the ‘worst public health crisis for a generation’ and that many families will lose loved ones before their time. Flanked by the chief scientific adviser and chief medical officer he announced a new series of measures including that people with fever or a persistent cough should self-isolate for a week. However, the UK will not be shutting schools or banning flights.
Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, explained that the aim is to try and delay the peak of the disease and then stretch it out over a longer period so the NHS is better able to deal with it. Vallance said that the UK was four weeks behind Italy in terms of the crisis and that the peak is still 10 to 14 weeks away.
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