Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what scientific advice they have received to explain the flattening of the growth trend of newly reported cases of COVID-19 (1) in Japan, (2) in South Korea, and (3) in China.

The Government is monitoring the development of the COVID-19 outbreak around the world, including in Japan, China and South Korea, and international evidence has been used alongside a wide range of other intelligence to inform the United Kingdom response. Lessons learned from other countries on what worked well in certain situations, for example social distancing measures, can be useful for the Government to consider as we form policies. The Government Office for Science is working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, Cabinet Office and other departments to ensure the latest evidence on the international outbreak and response is scientifically sound and the conclusions drawn are robust.