Prime Minister Boris Johnson says UK has passed the peak of Covid-19 coronavirus infection
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will set out how the UK can begin moving back to normal next week.
Leading his first Downing Street coronavirus briefing since being hospitalised with Covid-19 himself, the Prime Minister insisted this evening that things are moving in the right direction in terms of infection.
"I can confirm today that for the first time were are past the peak of this disease and we are on the downward slope," he said.
"We have so many reasons to be hopeful for the long term."
He added: "I will be setting out a comprehensive plan next week to explain how we can get the economy moving, how we can get children back to school and into childcare, and how we can travel to work and how we can make life in the workplace safer."
He said the plan was being guided by scientific advice and the aim would be to bring all political parties and different parts of the UK along with the UK government on it.
However he also repeated previous announcements about the five key tests that would need to be met before consideration could be given to easing lockdown: that the NHS can continue to cope; that there must be a sustained fall in the death rate; that the infection rate is falling; that operational and logistical difficulties in terms of testing and PPE are being addressed; and that there is no risk of a second peak of infection.
He announced the deaths of 26,711 UK citizens so far from the virus and said: "Across the country, therefore, families every day are continuing to lose loved ones before their time.
"We grieve for them and with them, but as we grieve we are strengthened in our resolve to defeat this virus."
While acknowledging the difficulties there have been around sourcing personal protective equipment and rolling out testing he also defended the efforts of people working in those areas.
"What I can tell you is that everyone responsible for tackling those problems – whether in government or the NHS or local authorities – we are throwing everything at it – heart and soul, night and day – to get it right, and we will get it right and are making huge progress.
"I will not underestimate the work and achievement of those dealing with global shortages in a global pandemic. All are rising to the challenge."
After Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced this week that the Scottish Government was recommending the use of face masks by members of the public in circumstances where social distancing was difficult – and UK health secretary Matt Hancock said his government would not be moving to make a similar recommendation – Mr Johnson said he believed they could be useful, both in helping prevent the spread of infection and for giving people greater confidence in social interactions.
He said the UK government would be saying more about this later.
