The briefing room is the new home of the Government’s coronavirus press conferences
(Picture: PA)Boris Johnson will hold his first press briefing in the much-talked about £2.6million White House-style media room this afternoon.
The Prime Minister will be joined at the 5pm press conference by chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, Downing Street said.
They will likely be asked questions and give more details on the roadmap out of lockdown, as England took a major forward on Monday with two families able to meet outdoors or in private gardens.
Downing Street said that the road map to easing coronavirus restrictions remains “on track” with the Government keeping the “relevant data and scientific evidence under review” ahead of the next step.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “We remain on track to deliver the road map.
“And we will continue to keep the relevant data and scientific evidence under review as we now move towards April 12, which as you know is step two.”
Mr Johnson had sparked new controversy over when employees should return to their workplaces by suggesting people have had enough “days off” at home during the pandemic, and should try to go back to their offices.
Asked if it was still the plan that work from home guidance was going to stay in force until June 21, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “From the road map it remains the case that people must continue to only go to work if it’s not reasonable for them to work from home.”
He added: “The work from home guidance remains that we continue to ask people to only go to work if they can’t reasonably work from home… We’ve committed to consulting on making flexible working the default.”
