The United Kingdom will be extending the Coronavirus lockdown by three more weeks, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has announced.
The U.K. has the second-highest confirmed coronavirus death toll in the world and the highest in Europe. The country has reported more than 220,000 recorded cases and 31,000 deaths from the virus as of Sunday, May 10, according to John Hopkins University.
Making the announcement on Sunday, Boris said ‘now isn’t the time to lift the lockdown’ as he unveiled cautious plans to lift restrictions imposed seven weeks ago.
He said “This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week, in step two, at the earliest by June 1, after half-term, we believe we may be in a position to begin the phased reopening of shops and to get primary pupils back into school, in stages, beginning with the reception (age four to five), year one (age five to six) and year six (10-11). In step three, at the earliest by July… we will hope to reopen at least some of the hospitality industry and other public places, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing”.