Coronavirus related deaths in UK rise by 54 in a day as UK toll hits 335

A further 54 Covid-19 related deaths have been recorded in UK after 46 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England, and Wales and Scotland each recorded four.

The total number of confirmed reported deaths in England to 303, NHS England said, with the UK total now at 335.

Those who have died in England were aged between 18 and 105 years old and all had underlying health conditions.

“Their families have been informed," NHS England said.

Scotland has recorded 499 positive cases, Wales recorded 418, Northern Ireland 148 cases and the Channel Islands 36 cases.

MPs have started debating a new law to give emergency powers to the UK government to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock addresses MPs on Monday afternoon. Credit: PA

Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government was willing to take "more action" if needed to stop coronavirus from spreading.

"It's very selfish," he said. "The NHS is doing everything it can and preparing for the spread of this virus.

"If people go within two metres of others who they don't live with then they're helping to spread the virus - and the consequences of that costs lives and it means that, for everyone, this will go on for longer."

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know

Updating MPs about staffing numbers on Monday afternoon, Mr Hancock said: “7,563 clinicians have so far answered our call to return to work, including members of this House, and I want to pay tribute to every single one of them.

“These are difficult times and they have risen to the call of the nation’s needs and we know that many more will join them.”

Liberal Democrat former cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey said there are many qualified healthcare professionals in the UK's refugee community.

He added: "I've spoken to a refugee charity, RefuAid, who says they have 514 qualified healthcare professionals on their books - people who are willing to work, fully qualified in their own country but there are bureaucratic barriers to them coming forward."

Mr Hancock said he would examine the details, noting there is a need to make sure people are capable of doing the required work.

Meanwhile, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, ahead of Mr Johnson's address to the nation, has backed an immediate lockdown.

He criticised those people going to parks and beaches "as if nothing has changed", telling MPs: "We must move to lockdown rules now that ban non-essential travel.

"It's time not just to ask people to do social distancing but enforce social distancing rules."

Jonathan Ashworth says people will need to change the way they behave. Credit: PA

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth says that it has not dawned on many people that they will have to change their behaviours.

He said: "We are asking people, and probably on the cusp of forcing people, to radically adjust their behaviour in a way in which we haven't been used to probably for 70 years, more than 70 years.

"The last time we asked people to radically adjust their behaviour was in the Second World War. We have generations here who are not used to this.

"We're a society where we're used to going where we want, buying what we want, doing what we want, socialising when we want."

He added: "Clearly for a lot of people, it is not dawning on them that they're going to have to change the way in which they behave."

All British tourists and short-stay travellers currently abroad should return to the UK while commercial flight options are still available, the Foreign Secretary has said.

Last week, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it was advising against all but essential international travel, initially for a period of 30 days.

A statement from the FCO said: "Today's update reflects the pace at which international travel is becoming more difficult with the closure of borders, airlines suspending flights, airports closing, exit bans and further restrictions being introduced daily. Further closures to air routes may come in the next 48 hours, possibly without notice."