When is the Cobra meeting? What time does the emergency coronavirus meeting take place as UK set to extend lockdown by three weeks

The UK government is to hold an emergency Cobra meeting today to review lockdown measures with a three week extension expected.

First secretary of state Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will chair the meeting with key ministers and scientific advisers joining.

Those present will look at evidence from scientists on lockdown measures and the impact they’ve had in stemming the spread of coronavirus.

Labour have said that they will back the new measures but want clarity on how the UK will exit lockdown.

Dominic Raab who is deputising for the hospitalised Prime Minister will chair today's Cobra meeting (Getty Images)

The calls for clarity come as scientific adviser Professor Neil Ferguson advised that some form of social distancing would be required until a vaccine was created to combat the virus.

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What time is today’s Cobra meeting?

Speaking at Wednesday’s daily press briefing Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed that a Cobra meeting would take place on Thursday.

Hancock did not specify a time specific time.

The previous meeting on March 23, which determined that Britain would enter an effective lockdown, took place at 5pm. The meeting before that took place at roughly 11am on March 12.

Who will be in attendance?

The Cobra meeting will take place virtually and it is expected that the four key members of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “war cabinet” will be present. They are Dominic Raab, Rishi Sunak, Matt Hancock and Michael Gove.

They will likely be joined by a host of scientific and medical experts, likely including chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries.

What is COBRA and when are meetings called?

The name stands for “Cabinet Office Briefing Room A” and refers to the emergency council which is formed when a crisis arises which will call for various different departments to work in tandem.

They meet in the Cabinet Office's briefing rooms (usually room A), hence the name.

The idea is to convene all the relevant parties at once to make rapid, effective action possible. In America, the Situation Room provides roughly the same function.

Having originally been formed in response to the miner's strike in 1972, past COBRA meetings have also been called to deal with issues like the fire-fighters' strike, terrorist attacks across Europe and the US, and the Novichok poisoning case.

Coronavirus: The Facts

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can affect lungs and airways. It is caused by a virus called coronavirus and is spread primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose.

What are the symptoms?

The NHS states that you should not leave the home if you have either:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

What should I do if I feel unwell?

Don’t go to your GP but instead look online at the coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and what to do next. Only call 111 if you cannot get help online.

What precautions can be taken?

Washing your hands with soap and water thoroughly. The NHS also advises to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze; put used tissues in the bin immediately and try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell. Also avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth unless your hands are clean.

When can I go outside?

The Government has put the UK into lockdown and instructed everyone to stay at home. You should only leave your home for very limited purposes:

• shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible

• one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household

• any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person

• travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home

However, these reasons are exceptions – even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

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