This is what Boris Johnson said in his televised coronavirus briefing today

While no additional measures were announced at the national briefing the prime minister did warn he ‘would not hesitate’ to do so if current restrictions failed to bring the virus under control.

With more than 7,000 cases identified on consecutive days and a second day of more than 70 deaths, the prime minister warned the country was now at a ‘critical moment’ and stressed the need to follow recently introduced guidelines such as the rule of six. He also said the new measures would ‘take time to feed through’.

Mr Johnson said: ‘No matter how impatient we may be, how fed up we may become, there is only one way of doing this, and that's by showing a collective forbearance, common sense and willingness to make sacrifices for the safety of others.

‘If we put in the work together now, then we give ourselves the best possible chance of avoiding that outcome (second national lockdown) and avoiding further measures.’

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While there has been recent protests against increasingly restrictive measures with protestors questioning the impact of the virus and the need to accept the consequences of living with it, this was a stance refuted by Mr Johnson.

He added: ‘I know some people will think we should give up and let the virus take its course despite the huge loss of life that would potentially entail.

‘I have to say I profoundly disagree. I don’t think that is what the British people want. I don’t think they want to throw in the sponge. They want to fight and defeat this virus and that is what we are going to do.’

Despite warnings from chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, and chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, that cases, hospital admissions and deaths are ‘all heading in the wrong direction’, the prime minister remained defiantly confident of defeating the virus and forecast better times ahead.

Mr Johnson said: ‘I am absolutely confident that with better treatments and with the prospect of a vaccine we will get through this.

‘Let’s follow the rules, wash our hands, cover our faces, observe social-distancing, download the app, and together we will fight back against this virus, protect the NHS and save more lives.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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