UK PM Johnson: There is a serious and growing problem with the virus

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged on Wednesday that there is a serious and growing problem with the coronavirus, as reported by Reuters.

Additional takeaways

"When you have the virus going up in the way that it is, you have to take strong local action."

"It does appear the illness is more localised."

"The people of this country do understand the rules and follow them."

"We will do everything we can to save every job."

"The best way to protect our jobs and economy is to work together and comply with the measures."

"We need to keep the economy moving."

Market reaction

These comments don't seem to be having a significant impact on market sentiment. As of writing, the FTSE 100 Index was down 0.15% on the day at 5,888.