Boris Johnson has returned to work this morning after beating coronaviurus.

Speaking on Downing Street, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country was beginning to "turn the tide" against cornonavirus as he made his first public statement since returning to work after being admitted to hospital with the disease.

Mr Johnson said he shared business concerns about the length of the lockdown but he refused to "throw away all the effort and sacrifice of the British people" and risk a second peak.

In his message to the public he said: "Every day I know this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land.

"It is still true this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war. And I no way minimise the continue problems we face.

"Making progress with fewer Covid patients in ICU and real signs now we are passing through the peak. Thanks to your forbearance and sense, your altruism and spirit of community and collective national resolve, we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission.

"We are beginning to turn the tide. If this virus was a physical assailant or mugger, this is the moment when we have begun to together to wrestle it to the floor.

"To British businesses, to shopkeepers, entrepreneurs to hospitality sector on whom are economy depends, I understand your impatience and share your anxiety and I know that without our private sector and without the health creators of this country, there will be no economy to speak or no cash, no way of funding out NHS.

"Yes, I can see the long-term consequences of lockdown and I entirely share your urgency. It is the governments urgency and yet we must also recognise the risk of a second spike and risk of losing control of second virus and let reproduction rise go over one.

"A new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster. We will be forced to slam on breaks on country and economy and reimpose restrictions to do more and lasting damage. I want to get this economy going as fast as I can but refuse to do so.

"I ask you to contain your impatience because as we begin, we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict and despite suffering, we have so nearly succeeded.

"We did not run out of ICU beds, and on the contrary we have collectively shielded our NHS, so our doctors, nurses and NHS have been able to shield us from an outbreak that would have been far worse.

"When we are sure this first phase is over and we are meeting our first test, sorting out testing and PPE, avoiding a second speak, then that will be a time to move onto the second phase.

"In that process, difficult judgements will be made, and I cannot spell out how fast or slow or when those changes will be made.

"The government will be saying more about this in next coming days.

"These decisions will be taken with maximum transparency and I will share my thinking with you the British people.

"We will be relying on science to inform us from the beginning and reach out to build biggest consensus in the UK and across party lines, bringing in opposition parties as far as we possibly can.

"Preparations are under way and have been for weeks to win phase two of this fight which we are now on track to prevail in phase one.

"If you can keep going as you have so far, protect NHS and we as a country can show optimism and energy, like Tom Moore who turns 100 this week, in past six weeks, I have no doubt we will beat this together and UK will emerge stronger than ever before."

More to come on this breaking story