PRIME Minister Boris Johnson was not present for the latest coronavirus daily briefing on Tuesday.

The UK leader stepped aside for the latest government update on the fight against coronavirus from Downing Street.

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Where was Boris Johnson?

The PM was not present at Tuesday's daily coronavirus press briefing.

Johnson addressed the nation on Monday night, ordering them to stay at home to save lives, and then held a cabinet meeting via video conference earlier this afternoon.

The Prime Minister last week announced that press conferences would eventually be carried out remotely due to social distancing guidelines, and Tuesday was the first of those.

Who hosted the coronavirus press briefing instead?

Tuesday’s press conference was hosted by the Health Secretary Matt Hancock and deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries.

The conference took place virtually meaning no media was present and instead they dialled in with questions.

What was said in today's briefing?

Matt Hancock announced a new hospital is set to open.

NHS Nightingale hospital will open at London's Excel Centre consisting of two wards and will have the help of the military.

He also took the opportunity to thank everyone helping to tackle coronavirus from pharmacists to medics.

The Health Secretary has also called for 250,000 volunteers to sign up and help the NHS.

He also stressed the PM's lockdown regulations are 'rules not requests'.

Where does Boris normally hold the press conferences?

Since last Monday, Johnson has held a daily briefing at Downing Street while flanked by advisors or cabinet ministers.

He announced his intention, though, to turn the press conferences into video conferences to respect social distancing guidelines.

The first of those virtual press conferences took place on Tuesday without Johnson present.

The list of previous speakers at the coronavirus daily briefing is:

March 23: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister).

March 22: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Robert Jenrick (Housing Secretary), Dr Jenny Harries (Deputy Chief Medical Officer).

March 21: George Eustice (Environment Secretary), Helen Dickinson (British Retail Consortium Chief Executive), Stephen Powis (NHS England Medical Director).

March 20: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Rishi Sunak (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Dr Jenny Harries (Deputy Chief Medical Officer).

March 19: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer), Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor).

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March 18: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor), Dr Jenny Harries (Deputy Chief Medical Officer).

March 17: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Rishi Sunak (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor).

March 16: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer), Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor).

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