Boris Johnson has made an urgent plea to the US for more ventilators amid the coronavirus crisis, according to Donald Trump.
The prime minister, who is self-isolating after being diagnosed with Covid-19, reportedly made the appeal on a call with the US president on Friday.
“Before he even said hello he said, ‘we need ventilators,’” Mr Trump said in a press conference.
“I said, ‘wow that’s a big statement.’ Hopefully he’s going to be in good shape.”
Downing Street declined to comment on Mr Trump’s remarks.
The government is desperately trying to source more ventilators for the NHS to cope with the expected surge in coronavirus cases over the coming weeks.
Britain currently has 17,089 cases and 1,019 deaths, after fatalities jumped by their highest amount yet - 260 - on Saturday. The true number of people carrying the disease is thought to be much higher, as some are asymptomatic.
Mr Johnson held a conference call with businesses involved in the manufacturing of ventilators on Thursday evening, where he was updated on how soon more could be produced, Number 10 confirmed.
Number 10 said on Thursday that 8,000 additional ventilators had been ordered by the Government to boost the stock of 8,000 already available to the health service, with thousands more available in the “coming weeks” when the virus is expected to peak.
Dyson is among the companies that the government has floated a mass order from, with 30,000 thought to be needed. The company is awaiting clinical approval for its models and could mass manufacture 10,000 respiratory devices if it is granted.
The US current has 102,702 cases of Covid-19 - the highest number in the world - and deaths stand at 1,590.
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