Coronavirus news – live: Angela Merkel goes into quarantine as Boris Johnson unveils plan to help vulnerable across UK

The NHS could be “overwhelmed” by the coronavirus pandemic in a similar fashion to Italy unless the population makes a “collective national effort to slow the spread” of coronavirus, prime minister Boris Johnson has warned.

“The numbers are very stark, and they are accelerating. We are only a matter of weeks – two or three – behind Italy,” he said. Military planners have also been called in to help with localised support systems to ensure vulnerable people self-isolating at home can have basic groceries and healthcare delivered.

Elsewhere, South Korea reported 98 more cases of coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total to 8,897 while in China, 46 new infections have been confirmed over the previous 24 hours, 45 of them coming from overseas. All eyes continue to remain on east Asia in fear of a second wave of infections.

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