Michael Gove has today said people should work from home 'if they can' in an effort to curb the increase in coronavirus cases.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast the Cabinet Office minister said: "If people can work from home, they should.

"But I stress that it’s very important that those people whose jobs require them to be in a specific workplace do so."

This comes after the government has spent the last couple of months encouraging people to return to offices in an effort to boost surrounding economies.

Mr Gove continued that reverting back to this message of working from home was not a case of "revisiting the days at the beginning of our response to this virus" as "workplaces are safer".

He said: "One of the risks that we have to face is that social mixing overall contributes to the spread of the virus.

"So as much as we can restrain that as possible at this stage, the better for all of us and for public health."

He furthered this message on BBC Radio 4's Today programme saying: "We are stressing that if it is safe to work in your workplace, if you are in a Covid secure workplace, then you should be there if your job requires it.

"But, if you can work from home you should."

Asked if this was a change in messaging from the government, Mr Gove said: "Yes."