We can turn the tide on coronavirus in 12 weeks: UK PM

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday said with the tough social distancing measures in place, he was confident about pulling down the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK and "turn the tide" on COVID-19 in 12 weeks.

Addressing his daily press conference from 10 Downing Street in London, the UK PM also revealed that the government was in talks to acquire coronavirus antibody test kits which would help determine if someone has had the deadly virus, which has claimed 137 lives in the UK.

"I do think, looking at it all, that we can turn the tide in the next 12 weeks, Johnson said.

"And I am absolutely confident that we can send the coronavirus packing, but only if we take the steps we have outlined. That is vital because that is how were going to reduce the peak," he added.

On being probed about his 12-week timescale, he stressed that while he did not want to be too "unnecessarily boosterish" with his messaging, he did believe that the country can get a grip on the crisis with its tough lockdown measures.

"I cannot say that by the end of June we will be on the downward slope, I cannot say that for certain. But what I can say is that this is going to be finite and I can say that this is how we're going to do it in the next 12 weeks," he said.

The Prime Minister revealed that a UK patient who tested positive for the coronavirus has been placed in a random trial for a potential treatment and the hunt for a vaccine was on full swing.

"We're in negotiations today to buy a so called antibody test, similar to a pregnancy test that can tell if you have had the disease. It has the potential to be an absolute game changer," he said, adding that if it is found to work the UK would acquire a bulk of them.

He sought to quash any speculation around London, as the hotspot of the outbreak, being placed into a complete lockdown in the coming days but did stress on the importance of following the advice on self-isolation and working from home as far as possible.

The prime minister also indicated plans to call time on his daily briefing being held physically in Downing Street and move to a more virtual setting to comply with social distancing.

Johnson thanked Britons for their "huge efforts" in complying with government advice on stopping the spread of the disease.

He said: "We're asking students to put their education on hold, we're asking people not to socialise in the normal way and already we can see the impact this is having on the UK economy and on business, on great, great companies.

"So it's vital that we in government stand behind them when what we are asking everyone to do is so crucial for saving literally thousands of lives by fighting this virus."