THE UK Government's daily coronavirus press conferences will no longer take place on weekends because of low TV ratings, Downing Street has confirmed.

Boris Johnson's spokesperson said the televised briefings will only take place on weekdays as Westminster moves into a “new phase” of tackling Covid-19.

The Prime Minister will lead the conferences once a week but could appear more regularly and ministers and government medical and scientific advisers will still attend.

The spokesman said: “It is just a fact that the numbers of people viewing at weekends do tend to be significantly lower.”

“The PM will do a press conference every week, it’s possible he could do more.

“We are absolutely committed to keeping people updated, we will be continuing to do this through regular press conferences, media interviews and parliamentary updates.”

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But some of the Sunday briefings have had high ratings, with more than 27.5 million tuning in to Johnson's plan to ease lockdown last month. It was one of the most-watched TV broadcasts in British history, with higher viewing numbers than the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Asked if the move is a sign the Government is stepping down its messaging, the spokesman said: “We have moved into a new phase of the pandemic response.

“We have obviously taken some cautious steps with easing the social distancing measures, more schools are now open to more pupils, and you are seeing more easing in the rules around social contact.

“So we are moving into a different phase of the response but in terms of the pandemic it continues to be the absolute priority for every department across Whitehall.”