The British army is ready to support police in maintaining public order as part of government planning for the worst-case scenario spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

The government published its “battle plan” for tackling the spread of coronavirus today, including possible school closures and home working, as it warned as many as one-fifth of employees could be absent from work during peak weeks.

“The army is of course always ready to backfill as and when but that is under a reasonable worst-case scenario,” Johnson told a media conference.

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