Matt Hancock Says Stricter Social Distancing Measures Are 'Not Imminent'

Matt Hancock has said that stricter measures to maintain social distancing are 'not imminent'.

Speaking during today's daily coronavirus press briefing, the Health Secretary repeated his plea for people to follow the Government's guidelines and to stay at home as much as possible.

He said: "I understand that people are yearning to know how long this will last. The answer is entirely dependent on how much people follow the rules. Following the rules is now 'mission critical'.

"The more people follow the rules, the faster we will all be through it. By ignoring them, you're risking your own life and the lives of others and you're making it harder for us all."

He added: "Exercise is good for our physical and mental health - but do not bend or break this rule - we can't rule out further steps."

PA

This follows a London council having to close a park after it was visited by more than 3,000 people on Saturday (4 April), despite the lockdown.

Lambeth Council announced last night that a 'minority' of people were seen sunbathing and gathering in large groups, so the decision was taken to shut Brockwell Park, south of Brixton.

Posting on social media, the council said it had been advised by the police to take the extra measures.

The statement read: "Despite clear advice, over 3,000 people spent today in Brockwell Park, many of them sunbathing or in large groups. This is unacceptable. Unfortunately, the actions of a minority now mean that, following police advice, Brockwell Park will be closed tomorrow."

The council then later added: "We are sorry we've had to take this decision. This wouldn't need to happen if people followed the clear instructions from the Govt.

"We are doing this for the wider safety of the public. A minority of people have not followed the guidance - regrettably we have to act."

Earlier today, health officials confirmed that a further 621 hospital patients in the UK had died at the hands of Covid-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 4,934.

Yesterday, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove urged the public to take advantage of the clement weather and go outside.

He said: "We need to reduce social contact, stop transmission and reduce the spread.

"Please don't go outside to visit the lakes, the beaches, the countryside.

"The more we restrict contact, the more we slow the spread of the infection, the more time we have to build capacity in the NHS to treat those in need."

It's okay to not panic. LADbible and UNILAD's aim with our Coronavirus campaign, Cutting Through, is to provide our community with facts and stories from the people who are either qualified to comment or have experienced first-hand the situation we're facing. For more information from the World Health Organisation on Coronavirus, click here.

Topics: uk news, Coronavirus, Health

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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