Boris Johnson will plunge into a hectic round of back-to-back meetings on coronavirus on his first day back in Downing Street after his life-threatening illness.

The prime minister is back at his desk in No 10 after a three-week absence and immediately faces massive decisions on the government’s next moves to stamp out the virus.

After chairing the daily COVID-19 “war cabinet” of senior ministers, Mr Johnson is expected to hold one-to-one talks with cabinet colleagues on the progress of their departments in his absence.

He is also expected to discuss plans for modifying – but not lifting – the lockdown, possibly before the 7 May deadline when the government is legally obliged to announce its next review of the rules.

Mr Johnson is eager to return directly to the political frontline by chairing the Downing Street news conferences and taking part in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, provided his doctors give the go-ahead.

After spending the past fortnight at Chequers, Mr Johnson arrived back in Downing Street with no fanfare. There was no motorcade, limousine or motorcycle outriders as he made a low-key return in a people carrier.

But according to Downing Street insiders, after his two weeks convalescing in the Buckinghamshire countryside he is “back to his normal self, excited to be back in No 10 and ready to take personal charge of the government”.

Allies claim he has “got his bounce back”, a fortnight after a stay in hospital which he claimed “could have gone either way” and prompted him to thank NHS doctors and nurses for saving his life in a video message.

Ministers are said to be delighted that he has returned so swiftly after his illness and Tory MPs will be relieved that Mr Johnson is back in control after claims of a power vacuum at the heart of government while he was away.

Mr Johnson faces a formidable in-tray as he gets back to work, however. His to-do list includes:

Lowering the COVID-19 death rate: The government says the UK is past the peak in deaths, but reducing the number of people dying with the disease remains a priority

100,000 tests per day by Thursday: The PM has just three days to reach Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s ambitious – critics say reckless – target of 100,000 tests a day

Stem the number of cases and deaths in care homes: This week will also bring more questions about the number of cases and deaths with COVID-19 in care homes

Lockdown restrictions: As the UK enters another week of lockdown, the decision of when to lift restrictions has split the cabinet and divided the business and scientific communities..Read More…

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