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The Chancellor of the Exchequer has summarized the conditions that the United Kingdom must meet in order for the blockade to be lifted, while warning that the country has not yet reached them.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, Rishi Sunak said the government was determined to maintain restrictions on social distancing until it could be sure that the number of cases would not increase again.
He said: “As we wait for the next stage in our battle against this disease, there are encouraging signs that we are making progress.”
“But before we consider it safe to adjust any of the current measures of social distancing, we must be satisfied that we have met the five tests established last week.”
The chancellor added: “At this stage of the crisis, we are absolutely focused on following the lead.
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(Image: PA)
The UK should be able to ease strict social distancing measures when five separate measures are met.
These are that the NHS can continue to cope with; that the daily mortality rate continues to decrease; that the infection rate also decreases; that operational challenges have been met, “and most importantly, that there is no risk of a second spike,” Sunak said.
Referring to the Government’s five tests, Mr. Sunak said: “We are not there yet and it is very clear that, for now, what we should focus on is following the guide, staying home to protect the NHS.
“Anything else that people may be speculating about is wrong, we are clear on that message.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Professor Angela McLean, deputy chief scientific adviser, said at the press conference that the number of new cases “has stopped increasing and is now fairly stable and flat.”
However, it is unclear whether the daily death rate is likely to decline continuously in the coming days.
The Government is also concerned that there may be a second peak in terms of infections.
Earlier today, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The great concern is a second peak. That is what will ultimately cause the most damage to health and the most damage to the economy.”
(Image: DIEGO AZUBEL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock)
“If you move too fast, then the virus can start to spread exponentially again.
“The public will expect us to do everything we can to stop the spread and protect life.”
Another 463 patients have died in England, Scotland and Wales, Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours, was previously reported.
The increase is the lowest in two weeks and brings Britain’s death toll to 16,522.
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