Preparing for Covid-19: UK mulls bringing doctors out of retirement
London: Britain is planning for the global coronavirus epidemic to get worse, health minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday, describing the outbreak as a "very, very significant challenge".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the government's emergency response committee on Monday, signalling a stepping up of Britain's preparation for the epidemic which began in China, where authorities estimate it has killed almost 3,000 people worldwide.
"We've got a clear strategy for dealing with coronavirus - a very, very significant challenge," Hancock told Sky News. "We're also planning in case this gets worse, much worse."
If the virus becomes more widespread, the government will look at registering retired health workers to work again, and whether encouraging people to work at home could delay its peak until summer when it can be more easily dealt with.
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