Social distancing restrictions on public life will remain in place for at least the next three weeks in the effort to flatten the spread of coronavirus.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said during today’s government briefing that the infection rate was not down far enough to relax the current curbs on public life.
Five conditions need to be in place before the rules can be relaxed
- Make sure the NHS could cope and provide specialist care and treatment across the UK
- See a consistent and sustainable fall in the daily death rate
- Data to show the rate of infection decreasing to “manageable levels”
- Tests and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be in supply to meet future demand
- Make sure adjustments do not risk a second peak
Mr Raab said: “The worst thing we could do right now is ease up too soon and allow a second peak of the virus to hit the NHS and the British people.”
He added:”We’re now at both a delicate and dangerous stage of this pandemic. If we rush to relax the measures in place, we would risk wasting all the sacrifices and all the progress we have made. And that would risk a quick return to another lockdown.
With all the threat to life a second peak of the virus would bring, and all the economic damage a second lockdown would carry. So we need to be patient a while longer.”
As of 9am on 16 April,417,649 tests have concluded, with 18,665 tests carried out on 15 April.
327,608 people have been tested, of whom 103,093 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 15 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 13,729 have died.
These figures are for hospitals only and do not include cases or deaths at home or in care homes.
In Kent and Medway there are now 2,386 people tested positive for the virus.
East Kent Hospitals has recorded 107 deaths. As of April 9, 68 people have been discharged from the Trust’s hospitals having sufficiently recovered from Covid-19.
Curbs on public life to try and control the spread of the virus:
- Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
- If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times
- Wash your hands as soon as you get home
- Do not meet others, even friends or family.
- For what police deem as reasonable excuse to leave your home click here
