British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told senior ministers on Thursday the government would adopt “maximum caution” as he prepared to outline how lockdown measures imposed to combat the coronavirus outbreak could be eased.
Johnson will address the nation on Sunday evening to set out a “roadmap” for relaxing social distancing rules announced in late March, but is not expected to make any major changes to the measures.
Although officials say the spread of COVID-19 in Britain has fallen markedly, the country has the world s second highest official death toll, with another 539 fatalities announced on Thursday taking its total to 30,615.
However, broader official data released this week put the total number of deaths by late April above 32,000 — including 107 health care workers and 29 care staff.
“We have come through the peak but it is a very delicate and… very dangerous moment, so we do need to proceed with caution,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said at the daily Downing Street news conference.
“The virus is not beaten yet. It remains deadly and infectious,” he added.
Raab said Johnson would detail a “roadmap for the next phase” on Sunday, that would include “appropriate measures to be taken at appropriate milestones” and “strict conditions with strict monitoring”.
The British premier s spokesman had earlier said that he used the phrase “maximum caution” when talking to colleagues at a cabinet meeting.
Media reports on Thursday said unlimited exercise and picnics will be allowed as part of the early easing of restrictions.
The announcement comes as the Bank of England warned on Thursday the British economy could slump by 14 percent because of the outbreak, although it would rebound by 15 percent next year.
Johnson s spokesman said the “worst thing we could do” is relax restrictions and allow a second spike in virus rates which would require fresh measures, hitting the economy further.
