Closure of Coronavirus in the United Kingdom: the government is ready to announce a three-week extension

The government is set to extend the UK coronavirus blockade until at least May 7 in an announcement expected to be made on Thursday.

Dominic Raab, who will replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from Covid-19, will tell the British that they will have to stay home for at least another three weeks as ministers grapple with an exit strategy, according to The Times.

The lock has to be reviewed by law every three weeks, and the first review must be done before Thursday of this week. The SAGE government scientific advisory group meets today.

But government officials have already made it clear that there is a near-zero chance that the restrictions will be lifted this week.

And senior scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned that Britain must first be “firmly on the other side” of the peak of new cases and deaths.

New daily cases and deaths are beginning to drop, but it is too early to say whether the UK has definitely reached a peak or is staying on a plateau.

For live updates on coronaviruses, click HERE.

Sir Patrick said: “When we are firmly on the other side in terms of declining numbers, only at that stage could we see when those measures could be released.”

A new poll shows that 74% of the public is in favor of a cautious approach to lifting the blockade.

Public opinion is very much in favor of preventing the spread of the virus, even if it causes economic damage, although 13% want people to return to work, even if that means there are more cases of Covid-19.

Cabinet ministers are divided exactly on when to end the blockade, and when the economy is saved before protecting every life.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is said to be eager to pass on the “stay home and save lives” message, and is concerned that this could be affected if the re-opening of nonessential businesses is allowed.

Secretary of Labor and Pensions Therese Coffey warned today: “We are talking about a battle against the coronavirus that will not end in weeks, it will take months.”

When asked when the blockade could be lifted, she told Sky News that the “focus right now” is halting the spread of the virus, and a vaccine “can take considerable time.”

He added: “We have not reached the peak of infections and that is why it is important to continue with the blocking measures we have, which seem to be working.”

“We will be guided by the modeling carried out by our scientific and clinical advisers.

“They are meeting in part today, but again later in the week and that will give us a new opportunity to consider what needs to be evaluated in terms of deciding when we may need to get out of this.”

Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon and senior officials from the Welsh and Northern Ireland governments have reportedly been invited to a COBRA meeting to discuss a UK-wide approach.

Government sources admit that ministers are debating how to balance the fight against the coronavirus against the economic effect of the blockade.

A government source told the Mirror: “We are clearly concerned about the economic impact of all this, but public health is the top priority at this time.

“It would be a mistake to look like bean counters at the cost of saving lives.”

But another cabinet source emphasized that the health of the economy and public health were closely linked.

They told the Mirror: “It is not a binary choice between protecting lives and protecting the economy, we want to protect both.”