Boris Back At His Desk... And Heaps Praise On Britain's ‘Grit And Guts'

Boris Johnson yesterday urged the nation not to lose patience with the lockdown amid the “moment of maximum risk”.

- Macer Hall

Returning to work after himself recovering from a life-threatening coronavirus infection, the Prime Minister announced that the country was “beginning to turn the tide” against the killer bug.

In a keynote address from Downing Street, he insisted restrictions had succeeded in slashing the infection rate.

Mr. Johnson said the country had reached a “moment of opportunity” to press home the advantage in tackling the disease.

But he cautioned: “It is also the moment of maximum risk because I know that there will be many people looking now at our apparent success and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures.”

He ruled out any immediate lifting of those measures because of the danger of a fresh wave of cases.

Challenge

“I refuse to throw away all the effort and sacrifice of the British people and risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS,” the Prime Minister said.

“And I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict.”

He said lockdown would not be relaxed too soon but details on any changes will be set out over the “coming days”.

Mr. Johnson emerged from Number 10 shortly after 9am yesterday in his first public appearance for more than three weeks following the infection that left him in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

Making light of his own experience, the Prime Minister joked: “I am sorry I have been away from my desk for much longer than I would have liked.”

He went on to praise the public for putting up with the draconian restrictions on freedom during the lockdown.