The daily coronavirus press conferences in Downing Street will no longer take place at weekends, Number 10 has said.
Boris Johnson will lead at least one of the briefings a week, alongside scientific and medical experts.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “From this week, the press conferences will be on weekdays only – so no longer on Saturdays and Sundays.
“The PM will take a press conference every week alongside… the scientific and medical experts.
“Others will be led by secretaries of state, alongside scientific and medical experts where relevant.”
Asked why the change was being made, the spokesman said: “It is just a fact that the numbers who are viewing at weekends do tend to be significantly lower.”
Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK in March, a member of the Government has been addressing the country via a live broadcast on a daily basis, which can also be viewed on YouTube, the BBC or on other news channels.
It comes as Downing Street defended the Government’s approach to ending virtual House of Commons proceedings and said Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg was examining how MPs who are shielding could participate.
Critics have said his plan to scrap virtual voting would lead to a one-kilometre queues in the Commons and shadow leader of the Commons Valerie Vaz has warned that Mr Rees-Mogg’s “discriminatory proposals” would result in “two classes of MPs”.
“We recognise the particular difficulties facing shielding MPs," the PM's spokesman said on Tuesday.
“As the Leader of the House of Commons has said, he has been working with the House authorities to see how MPs who are shielding may be able to continue to contribute to proceedings within the House.”
