Boris Johnson has branded coronavirus an "alien invader" in eyebrow-raising comments that appear to blame China. The Prime Minister told the Tory conference Brits would see off the virus like every other alien in 1,000 years.
He said: "I can tell you that your government is working night and day to repel this virus, and we will succeed, just as this country has seen off every alien invader for the last thousand years. "And we will succeed by collective effort, by following the guidance and with the help of weekly and almost daily improvements in the medicine and the science." The virus originated in Wuhan, and China has faced anger for the speed at which it notified the world.