Government could order mass closures of PUBS, football matches and church halls amid warnings coronavirus ‘is going to spread across UK in a significant way’ as Boris Johnson chairs emergency Cobra meeting
- Boris Johnson chairing meeting of Cobra emergency committee on coronavirus
- Ministers are preparing frantic bid to slow down the spread of the killer disease
- Third UK death was confirmed last night as infections take hold around world
Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to Yorkshire yesterday) is chairing the Cobra committee amid signs coronavirus is starting to take hold in the UK
Boris Johnson will hold an emergency meeting on coronavirus today as ministers prepare to ramp up the UK response.
The PM is chairing the Cobra committee amid signs the disease that has been sweeping the globe is starting to take a ‘significant’ hold in the UK.
Speculation is mounting that the government is about to move to the ‘delay’ phase of its response, conceding that containment has failed.
That could see people being advised to work from home where possible, and keep the vulnerable inside to avoid becoming infected.
More dramatic steps could involve closing pubs and church halls, and , cancelling football matches.
However, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said talk of axing sporting events and shutting museums and galleries was ‘premature’.
Public Health England announced the UK’s third death last night, with a man in his 60s dying at North Manchester General Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. He is understood to have been suffering underlying health problems.
Confirmed cases of the virus in the UK have now hit 278, with more than 23,500 people tested.
Mr Johnson will tell the Cobra meeting this morning that tackling the outbreak will require a ‘national and international effort’.
‘I am confident the British people are ready to play their part in that,’ he is expected to tell those in attendance.
The committee will assess whether the UK should officially move from the ‘contain’ to the ‘delay’ phase of the Government’s battle plan to deal with coronavirus.
Such a step would require agreement from chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, who are due to be at the meeting.
Writing in The Sun today, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries said: ‘It is now likely the virus is going to spread so we are stepping up planning to delay the peak of the outbreak to reduce the number of patients coming into the NHS during our busy winter period.
‘We may in the future recommend certain measures, such as working from home or asking more vulnerable people to stay at home.’
The high level discussions come as:
- Supermarkets placed restrictions on items including pasta, anti-bacterial wipes and hand soap in a bid to prevent shoppers from stockpiling, amid reports of people panic-buying in shops.
- The Foreign Office and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it was ‘working intensively’ with US authorities on arranging a flight for British nationals on the coronavirus-hit Grand Princess cruise ship due to arrive in Oakland, California, on Monday.
- British tourists were warned to avoid all but essential travel to a swathe of northern Italy under a coronavirus quarantine, including the popular destinations of Milan and Venice.
- Travellers returning from the lockdown areas in northern Italy were advised to self-isolate if they have returned to the UK in the last 14 days, even if have they have no coronavirus symptoms.
- The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport prepared to host a meeting with governing bodies and broadcasters on Monday to discuss how to handle the Covid-19 outbreak’s potential impact on the sporting calendar.
- Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said expert teams had been brought together to tackle the potential spread of ‘misinformation and digital interference’ around coronavirus.
Environment Secretary George Eustice will hold further talks with retailers today on how to support vulnerable groups who may have to self-isolate.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle will also chair a joint meeting of the House of Commons and House of Lords commissions to discuss Parliament’s response .
The UK has confirmed 69 new coronavirus cases bringing its total count to 278. Pictured above is a woman wearing a face mask walking past an empty aisle in a London Asda store
Over the weekend, medical experts warned of the pressure being placed on the NHS due to the outbreak.
GP surgeries in Wales are expected to receive packs of protective face masks, gloves and aprons this week to support their treatment of people with suspected coronavirus.
Meanwhile in Italy, around 16 million people have been placed under lockdown as its Covid-19 linked death toll rose to 366.
Extraordinary measures passed by the government have placed restrictions on museums, cinemas, shopping centres and restaurants until the start of April.
The FCO said British nationals are still able to leave Italy without restriction.
Budget airline easyJet said it was cancelling some flights to Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Venice and Verona airports, with further flight reductions expected to come.