Dr Hilary Jones shares stern warning about coronavirus and why we still need to be social distancing

Dr Hilary Jones shared a stern warning about the coronavirus pandemic during his appearance on Good Morning Britain today.

The TV health expert has urged the British public not to let their standards slide when it comes to following social distancing guidelines, explaining that by getting "complacent" we could trigger a second wave of the virus.

Speaking to presenters Kate Garraway and Alex Beresford, Dr Hilary reminded viewers to keep the NHS in mind before breaking social distancing rules.

During a chat about Heathrow airport's new testing system that could mean travellers no longer have to self-isolate, the concerned doctor said, "The trouble is, the only way this pandemic will be controlled is not through testing, tracing, and what we're doing at airports.

"It's by people adhering to the guidelines and the rules."

Reminding the public that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, he added, "That may sound really draconian but if people don't, we are going to see a rise in cases, we're going to see a resurgence of the first wave that hasn't really gone away.

"There was around 1,100 cases from testing yesterday, [there's been an] increase in transmission and a higher number of cases... and unless we stop being complacent about this we're gonna see a rise."

Airing his concerns for the National Health Service as we head into the winter months, Dr Hilary added, "We've got winter coming up, and there's other viruses that are going to be around, we still want to protect the NHS.

"It's about how society behaves that will get this pandemic under control."

GMB host Kate, who has announced she is stepping down from her spot on the ITV chat show in order to care for her husband Derek, praised Dr Hilary for sharing the "important warning".

Kate's husband is still in intensive care following his battle with coronavirus.

Derek, who shares 14-year-old Darcey and 11-year-old William with Kate, was admitted to hospital back in March and fought off the illness while in a coma.

Kate has explained that why he no longer has the virus, the impact it has had on his body may be permanent and he is still living in a state of limited consciousness.