Boris Johnson has said the UK is “passing the peak” of the coronavirus outbreak but that he does not want to “throw away the sacrifice of British people” by lifting the lockdown.

Speaking on Downing Street during his first public statement since returning to work, Mr Johnson said the country was beginning to “turn the tide” against the virus.

He thanked the UK for showing “grit and guts” during the lockdown, adding that he did not want to “throw away all the effort and sacrifice of the British people” and risk a second peak.

Although he said he shared business concerns about the length of the lockdown, he said the Government cannot “spell out how fast or slow or when” those measures will change.

The Prime Minister is resuming full-time duties at the head of the Government, three weeks after he was admitted to hospital with coronavirus.

He will chair the regular morning meeting of the Government’s Covid-19 “war cabinet” before heading into a series of meetings with senior ministers and officials.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab – who has been deputising for him in his absence – said he was “raring to go” after a fortnight convalescing at Chequers, his official country residence.

Read Also: Coronavirus: PM returns to work amid pressure to ease lockdown and cut COVID-19 deaths

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