Boris: I'll Get Britain Moving But Won't Risk Lives

Fit-again boris bounces back to number ten and is 'raring to go'.

- Macer Hall

Boris Johnson returns to work today to begin leading the country out of lockdown – while vowing to prevent a second wave of cases.

The Prime Minister arrived back in Downing Street last night and will be at the helm this morning after recovering from coronavirus.

He will start preparing the groundwork for an easing of the strictest restrictions from early next month after medical experts hailed a definite trend in falling hospital admissions. Downing Street said he would chair this morning’s daily meeting of the Government’s coronavirus war cabinet.

Aides anticipate he will return to leading the daily televised news conferences from Downing Street from as early as this afternoon and is likely to cite his experience of intensive care treatment at St Thomas’ Hospital to reiterate the Government’s message of needing to protect the NHS.

In the latest sign of a turning in the tide against the epidemic, figures yesterday showed the coronavirus death toll in UK hospitals rose by 413 yesterday to a total of 20,732, the lowest daily increase this month.

But the Prime Minister is expected to insist that many social distancing measures will stay in force for the foreseeable future to prevent a fresh surge in cases.

He has already told advisers that his biggest concern is the danger of a second peak which could cause a second lockdown.

One medical adviser to the Government yesterday warned that up to 100,000 people in the UK could die from conditions linked to coronavirus if most restrictions are lifted.