Dominic Raab led the daily government briefing on coronavirus today, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken into intensive care late last night.
Mr Johnson, it has been reported, is stable in hospital, and does not require a ventilator at this point in time. Mr Raab said he was "receiving the very best care" and is in "good spirits".
There have now been more than 6,000 deaths from Covid-19 in the UK.
In Europe, the north-south divide is only growing wider, with Italy and Spain accusing northern EU member states of "not doing enough", according to the BBC.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez has also warned that without appropriate EU planning, the union could "fall apart".
In Paris, outdoor exercise has been banned between 10am and 7pm, a move that Matt Hancock warned could face the UK if people continued to flout social distancing measures as the temperature rises across Europe.
Furthermore, Poland has stated that it will continue with its presidential election in May despite the pandemic.
Finally, in China, despite claims that there are no new deaths, many remain skeptical about the validity of data from the country where the virus originated. WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhganom Ghebreyesus praised the "speed in which [China] detected the outbreak" and a "commitment to transparency", but others are not convinced.
The next Leaders Council update will follow tomorrow morning.
