The British government is expected to extend a nationwide lockdown for another three weeks, amid signs the coronavirus outbreak is peaking but also warnings of more deaths to come.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recuperates after spending a week in hospital with COVID-19, meets with ministers and officials to finalize the plans.
An announcement is due later but the government has already said that, with the death toll approaching 13,000 and still rising, now is not the time to rescind the stay-at-home order imposed on March 23.
“It is too early to make a change,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells BBC television on Thursday.
“Whilst we’ve seen a flattening of the number of cases, and thankfully a flattening of the number of deaths, that hasn’t started to come down yet. And as far as I’m concerned that is still far too high.”
He says the vast majority of Britons had followed rules not to go out except for exercise and to buy essential items.
— AFP
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