The UK has moved past the stage of containing the swine flu outbreak and into the “treatment phase”, he said.

The World Health Organisation raised its alert to level 6, recognising that A(H1N1) swine flu has spread to pandemic levels around the globe.

The vast majority of cases of swine flu in the UK have been mild with a small number of more severe cases. The virus continues to spread within the UK.

Based on the science, it was always clear that it was not possible to contain or prevent the spread indefinitely. This is why Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Health, announced that Ministers across the UK have agreed to move from containment into a treatment phase.

458 further patients under investigation in England have today been confirmed through laboratory testing with swine flu. Together with the 57 laboratory confirmed cases in Scotland reported yesterday (July 01 2009) by the Scottish Government, one further laboratory confirmed case in Northern Ireland announced yesterday by the Northern Ireland Executive and the four laboratory confirmed cases in Wales announced by the National Public Health Service for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government earlier today, this brings the total number of laboratory confirmed UK cases identified since April 2009 to 7,447.