UK CABINET ministers have rallied behind Boris Johnson after he was accused of being “missing in action” at the start of the coronavirus outbreak as they down-played suggestions of implementing a “traffic light” system that could begin lifting the lockdown restrictions next month.

After it emerged the Prime Minister had not attended five Cobra emergency meetings before the virus hit Britain, Gavin Williamson, the UK Education Secretary, told the daily Downing St briefing: "The Prime Minister from the moment it became clear there were challenges, in terms of coronavirus developing in China, has absolutely been leading our nation's effort to combat the coronavirus, making sure resources or money is not a concern for any department, especially the health service."

He added: "The focus the Prime Minister was putting on this and has continued to put on this has meant this is the whole Government effort."

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office Minister, insisted Mr Johnson’s leadership on the coronavirus outbreak had been “inspirational,” saying: “The Prime Minister took all the major decisions. Nobody can say he wasn't throwing heart and soul into fighting this virus. His leadership has been clear.”

The Scot, added: “The idea the Prime Minister skipped meetings that were vital to our response to the coronavirus is grotesque."

READ MORE: Readers react to Boris Johnson skipping five Cobra meetings on coronavirus

Mr Gove later confirmed the PM had not attended five Cobra meetings in the run-up to the outbreak but stressed: “But then he wouldn't. Because most Cobra meetings don't have the Prime Minister attending them."

Last night, No 10 insisted: "The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation."

A spokesman stressed a Sunday Times article contained "a series of falsehoods and errors" and “actively misrepresented the enormous amount of work which was going on in government at the earliest stages of the coronavirus outbreak”.

He stressed: "This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.

"The Government has been working day and night to battle against coronavirus, delivering a strategy designed at all times to protect our NHS and save lives.

"Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support it needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it, as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers.”

The Sunday Times quoted one Government adviser as saying: “There’s no way you’re at war if your PM isn’t there. And what you learn about Boris was he didn’t chair any meetings. He liked his country breaks. He didn’t work weekends.”

Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said the claims about Mr Johnson suggested “early on, he was missing in action” and argued there were “serious questions” to answer about the Government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Shadow Health Secretary added: “None of us expects the impossible but we need to understand what was going on and people deserve an explanation. These reports only reinforce the need for total transparency from ministers over their exit strategy plans, so they can learn from mistakes.”

Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, described the claims against the PM of “complacency and negligence” about the Government’s immediate response to the outbreak as “jaw-dropping”.

He said: "There are a number of legitimate questions that need to be put to the UK Government around its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. When Parliament returns next week, the SNP will stand ready to hold this government to account and prioritise the protection of the public, frontline services and businesses."

At the daily Scottish Government briefing, Jeane Freeman, the Scottish Health Secretary, was asked about the claims about Mr Johnson and said: “As to whether or not the PM’s attendance at Cobra meetings in the early days made a difference or not, many of these issues will be looked at in the fulness of time.

“Right now, my primary focus is making sure we do everything we need to do to continue to suppress the virus and to plan and prepare for the steps we might want to take based on the evidence and the clinical and scientific advice we receive…”

Ms Freeman pointed out the Scottish Government was not consulted on what was described as the UK Government’s “traffic light” strategy to relieve lockdown measures, nor, she made clear, would it endorse it.

"We have committed to publishing later this week our initial thinking on how Scotland plots our way forward. This will focus on the issues that have to be weighed up and the changes that will be required for society to adapt as safely as possible to the presence of the virus.

"We confirmed only three days ago that the existing lockdown would continue for a further three weeks and we will use that time to assess the evidence and the options before we make any further decisions," she added.

It had earlier been suggested UK ministers were considering a “traffic light” strategy with schools, small shops and garden centres opening after May 11 with a later amber phase over summer enabling more of the economy to be revived with all workers going back to work with a later phase involving the reopening of pubs, hotels and restaurants as well as the reinstatement of sporting events.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson 'skipped five Cobra meetings on coronavirus and ignored scientist warnings' 

Mr Gove stressed the Government was taking a “deliberately cautious” approach and that it was most important for it to proceed on the basis of scientific advice, warning that the country should “not to get ahead of ourselves”; doing things too early could be dangerous, he insisted.

Asked if the traffic-light strategy was correct, he replied: "No, it is not," and explained: "It is the case that we are looking at all of the evidence but we have set some tests which need to be passed before we can think of easing restrictions in this lockdown."

However, he did suggest the hospitality sector could be the last one to be reopened.

Nicola Sturgeon took to social media to respond to the reports, saying any decisions on lifting the restrictions – which are due to be reviewed by May 7 – needed to be “solidly based and not premature” later adding: “These decisions must be based on evidence and careful judgement; not on the demands of the Sunday newspaper briefing cycle.”

The political clashes came as the latest figures put the UK deaths toll at 16,060, a rise of 596; this included 10 more deaths in Scotland, where the total increased to 903.

Also at the No 10 briefing, Dr Jenny Harries, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, warned the UK risked a second wave of coronavirus deaths if social distancing warnings were not heeded.

She declined to say if the country had “passed the peak” but noted: “I do think things look to be heading in the right direction."

In other developments -

*Mr Williamson stressed there was a global demand for Personal Protective Equipment but that one billion extra items had brought into Britain while the Government was doing "immense work" in trying to find British suppliers. He said a new 84 tonne shipment from Turkey, including 400,000 surgical gowns, would arrive on Monday.

*Trials of a coronavirus vaccine are to begin in Oxford this week with a study involving up to 510 healthy volunteers between 18 and 55. Team leader Professor Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology, said no one could be "completely certain" a vaccine would be found but the prospects were “very good". Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, said he was "optimistic" about finding a vaccine.

*The Resolution Foundation think-tank suggested as many as 11.7m people could be furloughed or unemployed over the next three months with employees in the lowest-paying hospitality and retail sectors were most likely to be affected.

*Tony Blair, the former PM said a clear strategy was needed to end the lockdown, claiming Britain had been "too slow" in trying to suppress the outbreak of the disease compared to other countries.

*More than 1,500 Britons stranded in New Zealand will be repatriated on five charter flights beginning this week.

*A National Care Forum study of deaths linked to Covid-19 in care homes has predicted thousands more people have died than official figures show and estimates more than 4,000 people may have died from coronavirus across all residential and nursing homes before April 13.

*Unions have called for the UK to observe minute's silence next week to remember all health, care and other key workers who have lost their lives to the virus.

*Analysis by Institute for Social and Economic Research suggests the lockdown will take more than 6.5m jobs out of economy.

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