More of our lives have been touched by this virus as every day goes by, says the minister. So it's crucial to keep going, "keep respecting the advice from the clinicians".

"If we do that together as a society, in the weeks to come there may be opportunities to ease the lockdown measures."

Powis says London is where we're starting to see improvement earliest.

NHS England medical director Stephen Powis says the reduction in the number of deaths will be the last thing to change but added "if we continue to comply with instructions, it will change".

He said: "The hospital data comes rapidly and we can get that very quickly. It's right that is published immediately. But we can also collect data on deaths in the community."

Referring to the graph below, Mr Powis said there was a "second line with some lag on it which we are working hard to decrease the lag".

Image source, UK Government

Jenrick says there are 10,606 ventilators in the NHS - and 190 of those have come from new UK suppliers "who rose to the challenge that the PM set to British industry".

The most important point to say is, there are sufficient ventilators, he says - the government is increasingly confident there will be sufficient capacity in the NHS.

"Just a few weeks ago that was one of our great concerns," he notes.

Referring to the graphs below, Stephen Powis says testing is expanding all the time and that "we are seeing all the time a stabilisation in the number of tests that are coming back positive".

He said it was becoming clear that fewer people were being taken to hospitals with Covid-19.

"In London we have had a succession of days where the numbers are decreasing but also some signs in other regions such as the Midlands," he added.

Image source, Supplied

Image source, Supplied

Asked about Covid-19 deaths, Robert Jenrick says: "There does appear to be a disproportionate impact on BAME [black, Asian and minority ethnic] communities. For that reason the Chief Medical Officer is working with Public Health England to better understand issues. It's right to do thorough research."

"I'm acutely aware of the challenge and am working with different groups," he says, so that "the voices of BAME communities are heard."

When it's pointed out that 400,000 gowns only covers three days for the NHS, Jenrick says the government is doing everything it can, "businesses here are playing their part as well... but I don't underestimate the scale of the challenge".

"The workers on the front line, we understand their anxiety and we are trying to get the equipment as quickly as possible," he adds.

NHS England medical officer Stephen Powis confirms a "great reduction" in public transport usage as well as vehicles on the road.

"That's really important. It's absolutely critical that we continue to comply with those instructions and to do everything we can to stop the spread of the virus," he added.

Image source, Supplied

Asked about the chronic shortage of protective equipment for NHS staff, the communities secretary says it is extremely challenging to source at this time. He says a large consignment of PPE is due to arrive in the UK tomorrow from Turkey - some 84 tonnes of PPE.

He says it will include 400,000 gowns, calling it “a very significant additional shipment”.

Jenrick pays tribute to 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore, who has raised millions for the NHS this week, saying he will be the guest of honour at the opening of a new Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate.

Jenrick says he is asking councils to reopen cemeteries and graveyards so people can "seek solace" at the graves of those they loved, or lay flowers. "There are times in my life when I have needed to do that", he says, adding that small mercies can make a difference.

Jenrick also cites a case where mourners were turned away and says, "funerals can go ahead with close family present".

The communities secretary says he knows the lockdown is a lot harder for those without a garden - "I've made it clear to councils that all parks must remain open" so people can safely enjoy fresh air and green space, he says.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced a cash boost for councils.

"Today we are providing 1.6bn of new funding to support councils with the pressures they face as they respond to the crisis." This takes the funding to over 3.2bn.

Mr Jenrick said it would help adult services, children's services, the most vulnerable and waste collection services.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick says 460,437 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out across Great Britain.

114,217 people tested positive up 5,526 since yesterday; there are 17,759 people in hospital in the UK, down from 18,711. As of yesterday, 15,464 of those in hospital have sadly died.

The figure is up by 888.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick says an extra sum of £1.6bn has been announced to help councils keep providing vital services.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick is at the podium and has started speaking.

He’s joined by Stephen Powis, the National Medical Director of NHS England.

We will bring you all the key details from the news conference here.

We're only a few minutes away from the start of the UK government's daily briefing.

In the meantime, why not watch this powerful video from the US? It shows the emotional moment a mother in New York met her baby for the first time, after he was born while she was in a medically-induced coma due to coronavirus.

The UK government's daily press briefing on the coronavirus will start in about 15 minutes, and we might well see more questions over the country's lockdown "exit strategy".

Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has said the government needs to "bring the British people into its confidence" over how it plans to end the lockdown.

Sir Iain said the government had been right to introduce and extend restrictions but that the effect was being seen sooner than expected.

On Thursday, it was announced the restrictions would remain in place for at least another three weeks.

A Florida judge has ordered a self-described church to stop selling a product that includes a bleaching agent, and which it claims will treat coronavirus.

The Genesis II Church of Health and Healing marketed the product as cure for everything from cancer to coronavirus.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that it was a combination of sodium chlorite and water, which when mixed according to the directions on the package, becomes chlorine dioxide - a powerful bleaching agent.

Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt said: "The Department of Justice will take swift action to protect consumers from illegal and potentially harmful products being offered to treat Covid-19."

There is no cure or vaccine for the coronavirus.

We are now just under 30 minutes away from today's UK government briefing, so here are the latest developments from around the country.

• The UK's death toll has surpassed 15,000 as 888 new deaths are confirmed
• The Chief Executive of Care England has warned that the true number of coronavirus deaths in care homes could be as high as 7,500
• Unions representing doctors and nurses have voiced concern about changes to official guidance recommending the re-use of some personal protective equipment (PPE) if stock is low
• Buckingham Palace has announced gun salutes, which mark the Queen's birthday every year, have been cancelled because of the outbreak

It's important to keep your spirits up in these times, and this lovely trio brought a smile to our faces.

Doreen Burns, Carol Spark and Dotty Robinson are all in their 70s and have known each other for over 40 years.

The women, who all live in Salford in Greater Manchester, decided to keep each other company by living together...