Boris Johnson says coronavirus likely to spread as he visits Public Health England to discuss containing outbreak

Boris Johnson has said coronavirus is likely to "spread a bit more" in the UK on a visit to Public Health England.

The PM said the Government were considering banning "very big public events" on his trip to Colindale on Sunday to discuss containing the outbreak.

It comes as 15 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the UK over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has confirmed that non-essential staff and dependants are to be pulled out of the British Embassy in Tehran, as Iran battles one of the worst outbreaks outside China.

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Johnson said he was “very, very confident” that the NHS is able to cope with an outbreak of coronavirus.

“As you know, we’ve found about 35 people in this country who have, or have had, the illness,” he said.

“And clearly there may be more, that’s likely to spread a bit more, and it’s vital therefore that people understand that we do have a great plan, a plan to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

“And I am very, very confident that in the NHS we have the professionals who will be well able to cope with it.”

Mr Johnson said the best way to stop the spread of the virus was hand washing, adding: “20 seconds, two times Happy Birthday I’m told, with hot water and soap.”

Talking about the Government’s updated contingency plan, he said: “I think what we’re saying is that we will be setting out the various measures, as the disease progresses, if it progresses in the way we think it may.

“We will be setting out the various measures in which we think the public should be responding, which public bodies should be responding, we’ll be sending that out tomorrow, the next day.

“But the crucial thing is, as I say, the public does what it can, we all do what we can to stop the spread ourselves.”

After Health Secretary Hancock said no tactics in stopping the spread of the virus had been taken off the table, Mr Johnson said questions will be asked about "very big public events".

"I think, you know, I don't want to go now into the kinds of things that might be necessary," he told reporters.

"But you can imagine that, obviously, there will be questions that we'll need to consider about very big public events, that kind of thing, how should schools continue to operate.

"My view is that they should as far as possible and I don't want kids being sent home unnecessarily, we think that's where, that's certainly where Public Health England is at the moment.

"I think that's the right thing. I think the crucial thing for the public to understand is coronavirus is of concern, it is a novel illness, but it's something this country really amply has the resources to deal with.

"We have state of the art testing facilities, we have a fantastic NHS. We will have to get through this, but believe me we are going to beat it."