Daily Press Conference UK-1

First of daily UK news conferences.

PM Boris Johnson:

We want to delay and flatten the peak, based on best scientific advice. And reduce death rate.

New guideline, because the fast increase in the curve has been reached.

Stay at home for 14 days when you have symptoms!
Don't go out when you have symptoms, even not for groceries.
Exercise outside only at a large distance of others.
One ill in the family, others stay at home too.

If you don't have symptoms and others in your household have no symptoms,  you still need to stick to the guideliness.

• Stop non-essential contacts with others and non-essential travel.
• Work from home and stay away from social venues.

Only use healthcare if absolutely necessary and go online instead of calling.

Elderly (>70), pregnant and people with health conditions,(One can say those who get the flu vaccination) are high riskl

Boris calls the guideliness 'draconian', but it's really necessary at this moment. Not earlier. Now!

Focus on the most vulnerable.

In a few days time the vulnerable needs shielding for 12 weeks. It coincides with the peak of the disease.

London is a few weeks ahead.
Londoners need to pay extra attention and take the guideliness very seriously.

Transmission during mass gatherings is relatively low, but they need so much healthcare. We need the healthcarers to work with the ill people.

These measures seem to be excessive. But they are absolutely necessary to minimise suffering and enabling the NHS to cope.

Keep washing your hands.

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Not everyone gets Covid-19, not everyone gets very ill, and most people, even the elderly, can deal with the disease fine.

We have three kinds of death:

1. Direct deaths: Covid-19.
2. A significant number of indirect deaths needs to be prevented, because they are the consequence of healthcare not being able to cope. That's why gatherings and in this time irresponsible use of the NHS needs to be limited.
3. Some restrictions might even result in damaged health. The pychosocial impact of distancing is one of those problems. Of course the focus is on that too, to limit these consequences.

3 levels of testing.

1. In IC
2. In hospitals for pneumonias and other health issues
3. At GP's

We need a test to find out who previously has had the disease.