Coronavirus live: One in five workers could be off work at outbreak peak

3 March 2020, 07:38

By EJ Ward

@EJWardNews

Boris Johnson has said coronavirus could lead to a fifth of workers being absent and cause the police to drop low-priority cases.

The Government's battle plan also said the NHS could be forced to delay non-urgent care. The Prime Minister was speaking in Downing Street laying out plans for dealing with the outbreak.

England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty warned "probably around 1% of people who get this virus might end up dying", but that the death rate varies according to age group.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed in a speech to parliament that the number of confirmed cases in the UK is now 51.

Follow all the developments in our live blog.

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