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The government has announced two further temporary hospitals will be built in response to the growing coronavirus pandemic, "with more to follow."
In today's government briefing, NHS chief Simon Stevens said he had given the go ahead on two more NHS 'Nightingale hospitals' in Manchester and Birmingham.
He said: "We're taking the extraordinary action to build new hospitals in very short order, starting with the NHS Nightingale hospital in East London.
"And today because this is a problem across the whole country, I have given the go ahead for two further NHS hospitals, beginning with the Birmingham NEC and the Manchester Central Convention Centre."
Mr Stevens gave no further details on where other temporary hospital sites would be built, but did say there would be more to follow. Earlier KentOnline reported new facilities could spring up across the county.
He did however say the "equivalent of 50 hospitals" had been freed up for coronavirus patients.
The government also revealed 18,000 medical staff have returned to the NHS this week in the fight against coronavirus and revealed today that testing would be "dramatically stepped up" over the weekend and next week to allow more to return to work.
Michael Gove led the press conference, after Boris Johnson announced he had tested positive for Covid-19.
The Prime Minister made the shock announcement on his Twitter account, saying he was now self-isolating after developing mild symptoms in the last 24 hours and testing positive.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the government's chief medical officer Chris Whitty have also been tested positive for the virus, and are now both self-isolating.
Mr Gove confirmed no other cabinet members had symptoms.
On testing he said: "We will be increasing testing capacity, which is absolutely crucial in our response to and fight against coronavirus."
Mr Gove confirmed that 759 people who tested positive for coronavirus have sadly died.
