Globally, more than 3,100 people have died and over 90,000 have been infected. But the British premier said: "For the overwhelming majority of people who contract the virus, this will be a mild disease from which they will speedily and fully recover."

In a press conference with his chief medical and scientific advisors at Downing Street, Johnson unveiled the steps the government would take if coronavirus takes hold in Britain. These include asking people to work from home, reducing the number of large gatherings such as football matches and shutting schools.

"In a stretching scenario, it is possible that up to one fifth of employees may be absent from work during peak weeks," the plan says. The pressure on emergency services could see police concentrate on only the most serious crimes with hospitals both delaying operations and bringing retired healthcare staff back to work.

But these measures will not be introduced until the outbreak is clearly established, and only then if experts assess the benefits outweigh the costs. The peak of the virus is expected to occur two to three months after the outbreak begins. "For the vast majority of the people of this country, we should be going about our business as usual," Johnson said.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2020