Britain's schools to close for a month because of coronavirus

Pressure is mounting on Boris Johnson to ramp up Britain's response to the coronavirus crisis today after the US barred all travellers from mainland Europe, The Daily Mail reports.

The UK PM is chairing the emergency Cobra committee later where the UK's tactics will shift from 'containing' the killer disease to merely 'delaying' its inevitable spread. The UK death toll hit eight yesterday.

However, the scale of the measures being planned is unclear - with ministers only so far suggesting they will encourage home working, ask those with a cold to self-quarantine, and urge vulnerable elderly people to stay indoors.

There are claims that schools have been ordered to prepare for closures that could last a month. But calls for the closure of other public spaces and the cancellation of major sporting events - as has happened in other countries - look to be some way off.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who yesterday unveiled a huge Budget package to 'vaccinate' the economy from the impact of coronavirus, today dismissed the prospect of the UK following Donald Trump's example.

'The advice we are getting is that there is not evidence that interventions like closing borders or travel bans are going to have a material effect on the spread of the infections,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'That is why we have taken the decisions that we have.'

Meanwhile, Johnson has hinted that the UK will not impose heavy restrictions yet, and swiped at political leaders who do not 'follow the science'.

In comments made before Trump's announcement, he said many leaders were 'under a lot of pressure to be seen to act'.

To fight what is now officially a global pandemic, the Budget handed hospitals a £5billion fighting fund while thousands of firms will be given a business rates holiday to help avert the risk of bankruptcy.

Sick pay will be reformed to ensure that employees are not penalised for going into quarantine.