PRIME Minister Boris Johnson said the tide can be turned and the UK can send coronavirus “packing” within the next 12 weeks... as long as the country follows strict social distancing advice.

In his daily press conference in Number 10, the PM also thanked the public for their “huge efforts” in complying with the advice.

Mr Johnson said: “I’m conscious as the days have gone by that people will want to know how long we’re expecting them to keep it up.

“I think, looking at it all, that we can turn the tide within the next 12 weeks and I’m absolutely confident that we can send coronavirus packing in this country.

“But only if we all take the steps that we’ve outlined, that is vital, that’s how we’re going to reduce the peak and once we’ve achieved that and I think that we will, if we take the steps I’ve said, then the scientific progress that we’ve been making will really start coming into play.”

He added: “We’re asking students to put their education on hold, we’re asking people not to socialise in the normal way and already we can see the impact this is having on the UK economy and on business, on great, great companies.

“So it’s vital that we in Government stand behind them when what we are asking everyone to do is so crucial for saving literally thousands of lives by fighting this virus.”

He also revealed UK scientists expect to start trials for the first vaccine within a month, adding: “To give you an idea of what is coming down the track, we’re in negotiations today to buy a socalled antibody test, as simple as a pregnancy test, which can tell whether you have had the disease and it’s early days, but if it works as its proponents claim, then we will buy literally hundreds of thousands of these kits as soon as practicable.

“Because obviously it has the potential to be a total gamechanger.”

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty also warned there will be a “lag” before the public’s efforts to stem the spread of Covid-19 will result in a slowing of case numbers.

He said: “At the moment London is under pressure from the coronavirus but but that’s going to go up.

“The first thing that will get under the greatest pressure will be intensive care and respiratory care system, that’s the first point of real pressure on the NHS that’s going to be happen.

“And to be clear: even if everybody does all the things we hope and really, really would ask that they will do, the numbers will continue to go up over the next two weeks because there’s a lag until things start to improve.”

Meanwhile, following the government’s calls for hotels to be used as overflow hospitals for coronavirus patients, a travel company has offered up two cruise ships docked in Tilbury.

The Echo understands the company which operates two cruise ships currently docked in the River Thames have had conversations with the government about using the ships as floating hospitals.

Saga Group’s Spirit of Discovery and Saga Sapphire docked in Tilbury earlier this week after being turned away from their usual port in Southampton due to limited space.

The ships are now set to remain in Essex for the foreseeable future after cruises worldwide were cancelled.