Dominic Raab says 17,911 are now in UK hospitals with coronavirus

During the daily press briefing at Downing Street, Dominic Raab said there 17,911 patients being treated across UK hospitals for coronavirus.

Raab who has stepped in for Boris Johnson for the breifing, whilst he is being treated in hospital. Raab said that the Prime Minister is doing well and he thanks the NHS staff for their “truly heroic work.”

Professor Angela McClean, the deputy chief scientific officer said, the efforts people are making to stay at home are working.

But, the Professor said,  it is far too soon to see the big changes we made to our lives two weeks ago. It will take several weeks after becoming infected to need to be in hospital.

She said she hopes hospital admissions will stop rising.

She added, that we need a good long time series of data to be able to tell what the impact of the lockdown has been.

Raab said people must continue to keep listening to the lockdown rules implemented by the government.

The chief scientific adviser, Professor Chris Whitty said, they are making sure there are always ICU beds, and said if there are excess beds, both for COVID and non-COVID patients, that will be a success.

Professor Whitty said he will not discuss the Prime Minister’s exact situation at the moment, as that would be inappropriate.