The UK Government has officially extended the current coronavirus lockdown restrictions for at least another three weeks.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced the extension in today's daily coronavirus briefing, where he was joined by chief medical officer Chris Witty and chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance.
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Speaking at today's briefing, Raab says lockdown in UK will be able to end when five factors will need to be satisfied.
These include, space in hospitals, a sustained fall in the daily death rate, reliable data to show infection rate is decreasing, having testing and PPE in hand, and to ensure the NHS won't be overwhelmed.
The extension of the measures, which were brought in on 23 March, mean all UK residents must remain in their homes in all instances other than to shop for essential supplies, obtain medicine, exercise once a day and travel to work if they absolutely cannot work from home.
Earlier today, Raab chaired the government's Cobra committee to discuss the scientific evidence for prolonging lockdown measures and reach a decision on the extension. Raab continues to lead the government as Boris Johnson recuperates at Chequers after contracting coronavirus.
The government has strongly hinted in their daily coronavirus press briefings that an extension of lockdown measures was necessary.
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Yesterday (15 April), health secretary Matt Hancock stressed the measures would not be lifted 'until it is safe to do so'.
He said: "We cannot let up in our efforts, we cannot let go of the hard work that has been done so far. This shared sacrifice, and I know it's a sacrifice, is starting to work but we will not lift these measures until it is safe to do so.
"Everyone who stays at home is doing their bit - protecting the NHS and saving lives. But while everyone else stays at home to save lives, our health and care workers go out to work to save lives."
Dr Angela McLean, the UK's deputy chief scientific officer, added that the lockdown is 'having the impact we hoped it would have'.
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She said there was a flattening in the number of cases which for her was 'evidence that what everybody has done together has worked'.
Chris Witty added the virus is 'reaching its peak', but warned that we could see rise in the daily death toll in the coming days.
He said: "It's probably reaching the peak overall. My expectation will be the number of deaths will go up. After a four day weekend, there may well be a bounce up tomorrow.
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"We think high levels of deaths will continue."
Yesterday, the government announced new measures to allow the relatives of those dying from coronavirus to say goodbye 'wherever possible'.
Hancock said at the briefing: "Wanting to be with someone at the end of their life is one of the deepest human instincts.
"It's a moment that will be with you forever. Done right it can help those left behind cope and it brings comfort to those who are dying."
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