I'm also thank the amazing workers in the N.

H s.

The everybody working in social care in every sector, through distribution, transport, you name it absolutely everybody who is keeping this country going today and I want to thank everyone who is being forced, of course, to do something differently today everyone who didn't visit Mom for Mother's Day but facetime them has gotten rang them instead.

Thank you for your restraint from what you did.

Everybody who was forced to close a pub or a restaurant or a gym or any other business bar that could have done fantastic business on a great day like this.

Thank you for your sacrifice.

I know how tough it must be.

And I can tell you once again that this government will be standing behind you behind British business behind British workers employees, the self employed through right this crisis on DDE.

The reason we're taking these unprecedented steps both to prop up businesses, support business.

That's what our economy and the's preventive measures is, of course, that we have toe slow the spread off the disease and to save thousands of lives.

And today we've come to the stage of our plan that I advertised at the outset when we first set out the plan of the UK government, when we now have to take special steps to protect the particularly vulnerable.

You remember that I said we want the moment would come when we needed to shield those with serious conditions.

There are probably about one of the half 1,000,000 in all on DDE.

In a minute, Robert General HQ will set out the plan in detail.

But this shielding will doom or than any other single measure that we are setting out to save life.

And that is what we want to do also to reduce infection and to slow the spread of the disease.

And I want to say just a couple of other things way have to doom or to make sure that the existing measures that we are taking our having the effect that we want.

So it's crucial that people understand tomorrow that the schools are closed and tomorrow you shouldn't send your child to school unless you've been identified as a key worker on Dhe.

More generally in view of the way people have responded over the last few days to the measures that we have set out.

I want to say a bit more about how we interact out doors.

And of course I want.

Of course I do people to be able to go to the parks on dhe open spaces and to enjoy themselves.

It's crucial for health for mental and physical well being.

But please follow the advice on don't think that fresh air in itself automatically provides some immunity.

You have toe stay two meters apart.

You have toe follow the social distancing advice and even if you think that you are personally invulnerable, there are plenty of people that you couldn't infect and whose lives will then be put at risk.

And I say this now on on Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening.

Take this advice seriously.

Follow it because it's absolutely crucial on dhe.

As I've said throughout this process, we will keep the implementation of these measures under constant review.

And yes, of course, we will bring forward further measures if we think that is, that is necessary.

So always remember, in following this advice, I know how difficult it is, but always remember that each and every one of us, you are doing your bit in following this advice, you're doing your bit to slow the spread of the disease.

And the more we collectively slow the spread, the more time we give the N hs to prepare.

The more lives we will save, the faster we will get through this.

And always remember, we will get through this and we will beat it and we will beat it together.

So next, Robert Jared, to outline the shielding measures that we're gonna be bringing forward in the next few days.

Thank you, Prime Minister.

And good afternoon.

As a nation, we're confronted with the need to make big changes on dhe enormous sacrifices to our daily lives.

And this is especially true today on Mother's Day, when many of us would want nothing more than to be at home with our loved ones in person.

But in recent weeks, heroic workers in the end it Jess in social care, our public service is in local government and many others have bean shouldering the country's burden.

Andi, I think we owe it to them onto the most vulnerable in society to stay at home to protect the N H.

S on by doing this to save lives.

And as the prime minister said, our response from the outset to the virus has been guided by scientific evidence on our action plan.

Set out the interventions that would be required to be deployed at the right time.

And so today we have to go further on shield the most clinically vulnerable people to help save their lives.

Following the chief medical officer's guidance, the N H s has identified upto one and 1/2 1,000,000 people in England who faced the highest risk of being hospitalized by the virus.

The energy jets will be contacting these people in the coming days, urging them to stay at home for a period off at least 12 weeks.

I know that many people will want to know whether this applies to them.

This will include people who are living with severe respiratory conditions, specific cancers such as off the blood or bone marrow, those who've received organ transplants and some though not all, of those receiving certain types of immuno suppressant drug treatments.

The fullest of conditions is now online at Governor UK forward slash corona virus.

Now, I don't underestimate what we're asking of people.

It will be tough.

But if you are one of these people, I want to reassure you on behalf of the government that you're not alone.

We will be with you throughout to support you and let me set out what we're doing and how it's going to work.

This week, the N H s will contact people by letter identified as being of higher risk of severe illness from Corona virus.

This will also be followed up where possible by text on my phone call.

We'll be asking these people not to leave home at all to avoid face to face contact for 12 weeks, all to protect themselves.

I know people will worry about what this means for family members and for carers.

For those without family and friends and neighbors close by, they'll worry about how they will be able to receive medicines and essential supplies, and I know people will feel anxious about supporting their mental health as well as their physical health.

So let me address those concerns.

Others in the household will not be required to adopt these protective shielding measures for themselves.

However, they must follow the public health England guidance on social distancing Carers, both formal and informal, can continue to visit, but again they must follow the additional metres set out by public health England.

For people who do not have support in place around them, who don't have a network of family and friends close by, we will be creating a network of local hubs covering the whole country.

This will require a major national effort.

In a very short period of time, medicines will be delivered by community pharmacists.

Groceries and essential household items will be delivered by local councils and food distributors working with supermarkets.

To ensure that nobody needs to worry about getting the food and essential items that they'll need, these parcels will be left on the doorstep.

The government, the food industry, community pharmacists, local councils and emergency service's are working round the clock to get this scheme off the ground.

Members of the armed forces already supporting this effort, including some of the finest military planners in the world, the prime minister and I are very grateful to everybody who's being involved and will be involved playing their part in making this happen?

I know that many people watching at home will want to volunteer, want this service is established.

There will be opportunities on.

Everybody can contribute in different ways.

In every city, in every town and village.

There's a huge amount of work to be done on.

Each of us has the power to do it.

We need to remember our neighbors when we shop.

We need to pick up the phone for a chat with loved ones.

We need to display small acts of kindness, of thoughtfulness, of love and compassion.

This will be a very worrying time for people with these health conditions.

But whilst more people will be required to be by themselves at home and that's difficult, let's guarantee that they are never alone.

And when all of this is done that we emerge as better neighbors to each other as stronger communities and that we're all proud of the part that we played in this effort, Thank you.

Thanks.

Robert changes.

I think.

Perhaps just to add three things, it's I'm sure there'll be some questions and I'm happy to answer those, I think, first of all, just to highlight this is a hugely complex task clinically to identify these individuals.

Clearly, we're asking them to take themselves out of society for 12 weeks, and that is no small task on the measures that you've just heard recognize that difficult balance in doing that, we have worked with the Royal College of General Practitioners within inches digital with the medical rule, colleges on dhe with secondary care conditions as well.

And I just want to offer my thanks to them and they will continue to work with this over the next week or two while we refine three individual lists.

I think the second point was just to note that for any of the public listening who might be in this group because we want to be as inclusive as possible, we may actually slightly overestimate the number of individuals.

And there will be opportunity.

Thio discuss in due course, their individual conditions going forward.

So it is possible that an individual might, for example, receive a letter which has been digitally constructed because that is the quickest way to identify individuals.

But we recognize also that the person at the end of the digital number is an individual living their lives and their condition changes on a regular basis.

Eso It may be that somebody will receive a letter from a clinic.

A CZ Well, this is part of the plan to ensure that we contact all of those who need to be in this group.

And then I think, the final point.

I just want to make his whilst we're asking these individuals to be isolated very firmly.

Many off them have very, very complex conditions or they would not be in this group on.

I just want to assure them that the normal service is which they have from conditions or from other care systems will continue, and on an individual basis they will either receive care at home.

Three more virtual means where that's appropriate or arrangements will be made to bring them safely into clinical areas where they could be managed.

So they should not worry that their care will continue.

Thank you.

Thanks very much.

Jenny, let's go to some questions now.

Please.

Vicky Young, BBC Prime Minister.

You said that we're 2 to 3 weeks behind Italy in a newspaper article that we need to make a national collective effort to stop the end.

It just being overwhelmed.

At the moment, you're still advising people to follow thes measures rather than imposing them.

And I just wondered what evidence you're basing that on.

Given that it's clear that some people aren't listening.

Just a quick question on the courts.

They're still going to be open tomorrow.

Why is that?

First on the on the court's quickly Vicky, Many courts are already using video trials using remote technology toe to do their business.

But we're keeping that under constant review on your on your general point about where we are in the balance of Prohibition on DDE, allowing people to toe enjoy themselves outside.

Let's be absolutely We've already taken some very, very draconian steps we've closed.

The schools were closed.

A huge swathes off the UK economy bars, pubs, restaurants, theaters, Jim's on DSO on a huge quantity off of our of our of our normal daily life has Bean has been totally transformed.

It is very important for people's mental and physical well being that they should be able to get out and exercise if they possibly can.

In many, many people do not have access.

Let's face it to private green space where they can do that.

And that's why parks open spaces are so absolutely crucial for our for our country and for our society.

But when we do that, we have to do it responsibly on So our message to people the message that I want Oh, get over tonight because we've all seen how people have been enjoying themselves over a beautiful weekend.

My message is you've got to do this are in line with the advice you've got to follow the social distancing rule, keep two meters apart.

Otherwise, if you don't do it responsibly, people don't exercise responsibly in the parks and green spaces.

Then Vicky is a CZ.

You suggest there's gonna be no doubt that we will have to bring forward further measures, and we are certainly keeping that under constant review.

Sam Coates, Sky Sankoh, Scotty's Robert Generous.

You're going to be asking one and 1/2 1,000,000 people to do something completely unprecedented.

I just want to ask a little bit about the practicalities and what you're talking about.

First of all, are you saying that there is a government guarantee local government, national government that anybody who needs food and needs medicine will be supplied it in this group.

What can people expect?

Will they get a telephone number to call when they get this letter?

Who do they let know that they've run out of things?

How will it work on a practical level?

And are you relying on the state?

Or are you relying on, respectively, the big society which risks gaps opening up?

Prime Minister I am confused by government guidance.

I want to focus in on one example again, which is playgrounds.

So Sadiq Khan says, Don't go out unless absolutely necessary.

You're gonna stay at home podium there on your podium there.

The community secretary on the telly this morning said You can go to paint playgrounds, providing Children distance themselves from one another.

Have you ever taken a child to a playground and successfully convinced a five year old to stay two meters away from another five year old on the piece of equipment?

Isn't there a reason why Island closed their playgrounds on?

Doesn't this show how people are taking mixed messages away from what you're saying?

Deputy chief medical officer.

The graphs showing that the UK has more deaths at this stage than Italy are terrifying is there anything that you can say for people looking at those numbers and worrying?

Well, the unit just will be writing to 1.5 million people.

These letters should start to land on individuals doormats from Tuesday of this coming week.

The letter will give AH website on Dhe a phone number, and those will be live by the time the individuals receive the letters they'll be able to use those service is to alert us if they feel they don't have family, friends, neighbors and existing support network to help them to get the medicines, the food and other supplies that they need.