Prime Minister Boris Johnson is 'improving' and is 'sitting up in in bed' in hospital, where he is being treated for coronavirus.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak provided the update on the PM's condition as he hosted this evening's Downing Street coronavirus press conference.
He began the briefing with an update on the on the leader's health, saying Mr Johnson is "improving" and receiving “excellent care from the NHS" at St Thomas' Hospital in London.
He also addressed questions over how long the UK's lockdown would last, after Wales announced earlier today its restrictions would not lift at the three-week milestone.
The chancellor said the weekly COBRA meeting tomorrow involving England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will include a discussion of a review of the lockdown.
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The administrations will base any future decisions on new data that will become available next week, he added.
On the prospect of different parts of the country emerging from the lockdown at different times, Mr Sunak said: "I don't want to start speculating about the future."
The chancellor asked Brits not to speculate, and focus instead on following the lockdown rules still in place.
“Our priority right now is to stop the spread of this virus and get to the other side of this peak, and the best way to do that is for people to follow the advice, which is stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”
He would not be drawn on when schools might reopen, but thanked those keeping their doors open for the children of key workers.
The daily briefing is being delivered on the UK's darkest day of the pandemic so far, as the death toll climbed by the highest leap yet.
The Covid-19 death toll increased by 936 to 7,172, in Britain's deadliest day yet.
Mr Johnson remains in hospital, where he is in intensive care (ICU) for persistent coronavirus symptoms.
The PM has been treated with oxygen and his condition is reported as stable, as he remains in at St Thomas' on his third day in ICU.
Earlier today the UK leader was said to be in “good spirits” and responding to treatment at the top London hospital.
Mr Sunak said tonight: "The latest from the hospital is that the prime minister remains in intensive care where his condition is improving.
"I can also tell you that he has been sitting up in bed and been engaging positively with the clinical team."
Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Angela McClean today presented the latest statistics tracing the progress of coronavirus in the UK at the briefing.
She said the data showed that despite the increase in deaths, the rate of new cases is not increasing sharply.
The professor said: “The virus is not accelerating - and that is good news."
Mr Sunak was asked tonight whether he was concerned that the UK could be plunged into a recession due to the pandemic.
The chancellor said he had been "very clear and very honest that this will have a significant impact on our economy."
He added other countries faced the same risks and that the UK had taken "unprecedented" measures, adding that he could not promise to save every job, business, or charity.
However Mr Sunak vowed to do all he could to help the economy "bounce back as quickly as possible.”
He added: "This will have a significant impact on our economy - and not in an abstract way. It will have an impact on people's jobs and their livelihoods.
"That is why we have taken the actions we have in order to help mitigate some of that.
"I believe we are doing the right things. I can't stand here and say there isn't going to be hardship ahead because there is."
In response to questions about the progress of the UK's exit from the European Union, the Chancellor said the timeline of trade negotiations was progressing as planned.
He also used tonight's briefing to announce the Government is providing £750million to support charities hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Sunak said the fund will include £370m for small local charities working with vulnerable people.
As the Prime Minister remains in hospital this evening, senior Cabinet Minister Michael Gove today confirmed he was self-isolating after his daughter began showing symptoms.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty have both had Covid-19 and recovered, while other Cabinet ministers have also shown symptoms.
