Covid-19 virus: Michael Gove announces thousands of ventilators are rolling off the production line

During today’s Covid-19 update, Michael Gove gave announced that the first thousand new ventilators will come off the production line this weekend and be made available for the NHS.

Other key points:

• The government has ordered 10,000 CPAP devices which help deliver oxygen to patients before full ventilation is needed

• Food and medicine is being provided to 1.5 million most vulnerable people

• He conceded that the government's testing capacity is being limited by the supply of specific chemicals, but the government is working with academics and the private sector to increase the number of test centres

NHS England's Stephen Powis gave an update on the medical situation:

• NHS Nightingale hospital at London's Excel Centre will be open to patients at the end of the week - with capacity for 2,000 people. It will be one of five such facilities being constructed.

• He warned that we "should not read too much into" the plateauing of the numbers of new infections - and that restrictions will still be in place for the foreseeable future.

• Testing of NHS staff is being increased