UK health minister goes down with Covid-19

Mr Gove says that the best analysis shows the rate of infection in the UK has been doubling every three to four days.

"These figures are a powerful reminder of the need for all of us to act," he says. "Strict social distancing measures have been put in place to restrict the spread of Covid-19."

The head of the NHS in England, Simon Stevens, tells the briefing there are currently 6,200 patients with coronavirus in hospital.

He says the NHS is "pulling out all the stops" to ensure they and those who will be hospitalised in future get the treatment they deserve.

An extra 33,000 beds are being created for coronavirus patients as part of an "extraordinary effort" to reconfigure the health service, he adds.

He confirms that there will be two new major Nightingale hospitals built on the sites of Birmingham's NEC and the Manchester conference centre.