Prime minister warns stricter measures could be imposed

Boris Johnson is warning every household he could impose even stricter lockdown measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak as it inevitably worsens.

The prime minister, who is selfisolating with Covid-19, is writing to every address telling people the closer they adhere to the rules, “the sooner life can return to normal”.

Stressing the “national emergency”, the letters will land on doorsteps after the number of people to have died in UK hospitals surged past 1,000, increasing by 260 in 24 hours.

NHS England’s national medical director warned that now was not the time for complacency after a study suggested social distancing could deliver a lower death toll than previously feared.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack became the latest Cabinet minister to enter self-isolation with Covid-19 symptoms after the PM and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

In letters to 30 million households, Mr Johnson writes: “We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do. We know things will get worse before they get better.

“But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal.”

NHS England’s national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said it would be a “good result” if the toll in the UK was less than 20,000.

“But we shouldn’t be complacent about that, although that would be a good result, it will only happen if we stop the transmission of the virus,” he added.