Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said "many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time" as the coronavirus continues to spread across the country.

The virus, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is now in the 'delay' phase in the UK.

It comes as experts and politicians accepted it could no longer be contained.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government's chief scientific adviser, said the actual number of people infected in the UK at the moment could be between 5,000 and 10,000.

What did the PM say?

Boris Johnson said anyone with coronavirus symptoms, however mild, such as a continuous cough or high temperature, must now stay at home for seven days.

He said school trips abroad should be stopped, while people over 70 with serious medical conditions should not go on cruises.

But Mr Johnson said there was no need to close schools now as the scientific advice "is that this could do more harm than good".

He said this tactic may change at some point, while in the future anybody living with somebody who is taken ill will also be told to self-isolate for seven days.

Mr Johnson said families would continue to "lose loved ones before their time" as the coronavirus outbreak worsens.

"We've all got to be clear, this is the worst public health crisis for a generation," said the PM.

"Some people compare it to seasonal flu, alas that is not right.

"Due to the lack of immunity this disease is more dangerous.

"It is going to spread further and I must level with you, I must level with the British public: many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time."

He said there was a need to delay the spread of Covid-19 to "minimise the suffering" and reduce the impact on the NHS.

Mr Johnson said the Government was "considering the question of banning major sporting events".

He said the evidence suggests it will "have little effect on the spread" of coronavirus, though such events did place a burden on public services.

"If you have coronavirus symptoms however mild, either a new continuous cough or a high temperature, then you should stay at home for at least seven days to protect others and help slow the spread of the disease," the PM added.

What have the NHS said?

We expect the NHS to be exceptionally busy in the coming days and weeks.

If you have serious symptoms that you cannot manage at home or persist longer than seven days, please go to NHS 111 online, or call 111 if you cannot go online.

'Delay' phase begins

The shift, which could see restrictions imposed in an effort to delay the spread of the disease, was confirmed by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon following a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee chaired by Boris Johnson.

The move came as two more deaths were announced in British hospitals and the number of people who had tested positive for coronavirus reached almost 600.

Ten people have now died in the UK after testing positive for Covid-19 and 596 people are known to have contracted the virus.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government's chief scientific adviser, said the actual number of people infected in the UK at the moment could be between 5,000 and 10,000.

The latest deaths were of an 89-year-old at Charing Cross Hospital in London and a woman in her sixties at Queen's Hospital in Romford. Both had underlying health conditions.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The decision has been taken that we have now moved from a contain phase into the delay phase where the objective is to seek to slow down the spread of the virus, to reduce the numbers who will be infected at the peak, the number infected at any one time."

From Friday, anyone with symptoms indicative of coronavirus should self-isolate for seven days, she said.

From Monday, mass gatherings in Scotland are set to be restricted as Ms Sturgeon said it is "inappropriate that we continue as normal".

She acknowledged the move, which will apply to some events involving crowds of 500 or more, will "not have a significant impact on the spread of the virus" but it will ease pressure on frontline emergency services.

It comes as Ireland announced the closure of schools and tourist attractions until the end of the month.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar said schools, colleges and childcare facilities will close until March 29 as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, which is now regarded as a global pandemic.
Museums, galleries and other tourist destinations will also close as a result of the action.

Mr Varadkar said: "I know that some of this is coming as a real shock and it is going to involve big changes in the way we live our lives.

"I know that I am asking people to make enormous sacrifices. We're doing it for each other."
The total number of Covid-19 cases in the Republic stands at 43 and there has been one death.

The developments came as:

  • The FTSE 100 lost more than 10% of its value, the biggest intraday fall since the 2008 financial crisis, with nearly £150 billion wiped off London's top index.
  • Princess Cruises said it will keep its 18 cruise ships in dock for the next two months as it deals with the global spread of coronavirus.
  • Hollywood star Tom Hanks announced he and wife Rita Wilson have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
  • Barchester Care Homes, which runs more than 200 homes in the UK, sent a letter to residents, patients and visitors saying it was stopping routine visits to its homes, although it later said it meant visits should be "minimised".
  • Twitter informed all staff globally they must work from home as the social media platform heightened its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
  • A paramedic with the East of England Ambulance Service tested positive for coronavirus.
  • Disney cancelled the red carpet for the European premiere of the live action version of Mulan "in an abundance of caution" over the outbreak of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the UK's chief medical officers and officials from the General Medical Council and NHS England wrote to doctors saying they may need to work outside their usual area of expertise and in unfamiliar circumstances as they deal with a "very abnormal emergency situation" in the peak of an epidemic.

The letter said GP practices, hospitals, trusts and health boards should support doctors as "clinicians may need to depart, possibly significantly, from established procedure in order to care for patients in the highly challenging but time-bound circumstances of the peak of an epidemic".