Boris Johnson has warned the spread of coronavirus in the UK is “likely to become more significant”.
Speaking after a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee in Whitehall on Monday, the prime minister said ministers had agreed a plan “if and when it starts to spread”.
Johnson said the government would “take the steps necessary” to “contain the spread of the disease as far as we can, and to protect the most vulnerable”.
“I think it’s very important to stress that this is a problem that is likely to become more significant for this country,” he said.
Downing Street said a UK-wide action plan to tackle coronavirus had been agreed at the Cobra meeting and would be published tomorrow.
Government sources indicated it could be “months rather than weeks” before the coronavirus outbreak in the UK peaks.
Ministers plan to get emergency powers into law by the end of the month but they may not be required for some time.
“We don’t want to have to take decisions before we have to,” a source said.
“As much as possible we want people to carry on with their daily lives.”
Johnson has been criticised by Labour for being a “part-time” prime minister as the UK coronavirus toll climbed to 36 cases over the weekend.
But the prime minister’s official spokesperson defended the government’s response to the crisis.
“We have been taking extensive steps led by the best medical and scientific advice since the very beginning of this outbreak,” the spokesperson said.
Globally, the number of people killed worldwide by the virus exceeds 3,000 and there have been almost 90,000 confirmed cases.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, confirmed that “population distancing measures”, such as banning public gatherings and cancelling football matches, could be considered, while closing schools may become “necessary”.
He has also not ruled out locking down entire British cities to contain the spread of the virus, but has given scant further information about what this would actually involve.
Labour has said it would support the move if it was deemed necessary.
This morning’s Cobra meeting was attended by Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan was not invited to the meeting. But he is due to meet senior officials and health specialists from across the capital to review preparations for dealing with the outbreak.