Boris Johnson announced that March 8 is the earliest date that ministers hope to start reopening schools
He made clear wider lockdown won t be eased until then, when vulnerable groups should have vaccine cover
Prime Minister admitted to MPs that closures would have a huge impact on education of millions of pupils
He pledged £300million - on top of previous £1billion package - to help fund tutoring and summer schools
The PM said there were no easy answers as Keir Starmer highlighted the UK death toll topping 100,000
Mr Johnson said perpetual lockdown is no answer as he said he will unveil a road map out of lockdown soon
At least 220 frontline health and care workers have tragically died from coronavirus across the UK. NHS services across south east London have played their part throughout the pandemic, with dedicated staff exposing themselves to the risk of infection daily. Through tributes from loved ones and confirmation through sources such as local NHS trusts and other authorities, we have identified six frontline health and care workers who have died from Covid-19 working or living in south east London. The figure is likely to be lower than the true number of workers who have died, as the names of some victims will not yet be in the public domain.
Boris Johnson said he took full responsibility for every action the Government has taken through pandemic
He insisted he and his ministers had done everything we could to limit Covid deaths but admitted it was hard
He described Covid pandemic as an appalling and tragic loss of life and said each victim was to be mourned
But usually cautious Chris Whitty offered a beacon of hope last night, by saying the UK was through the peak
Infection figures were down from 68,000 cases recorded on January 7 to just over 20,000 yesterday, he said
Distressing video shows a 42-year-old woman warning youngsters Covid is real as she struggles for breath while fighting the virus.
The woman, whose first name is Hanifah, is seen coughing and on oxygen in ICU at Croydon University Hospital in south London.
She told the BBC she felt she was dying , adding: Even to young people, regardless, you might think you have no any illnesses. It doesn t matter. I ve been healthy, had no any illness, nothing. But Covid just struck me down . Dr Yogini Raste, a consultant at Croydon Hospital, also warned: This is not fake news. This is real, this is happening.