Dominic Raab: Still ‘too early’ to lift lockdown restrictions
The government has said that it is still too early to lift lockdown restrictions across the UK, urging people again not to travel over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Boris Johnson while the prime minister remains in intensive care, said that although the early signs were that the social distancing measures were having the desired effect, it was impossible to tell “conclusively” yet.
He added that the lockdown measures will have to stay in place “until we have got evidence that shows we have moved beyond the peak”.
He praised the UK public for abiding by the restrictions, but said: ‘We’re not done yet. We must keep going”.
A total of 7,978 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of Wednesday, up by 881 from 7,097 the day before
When Johnson first announced the measures on 23 March, he said that the restrictions would be reviewed on Easter Monday.
Sign up to City PM’s Midday Update newsletter, delivered to your inbox every lunchtime
With the prime minister in hospital, there was concern as to whether the review would take place.
Raab said that the government’s SAGE committee would meet next week to review the latest evidence.
He also provided an update on the prime minister’s health, saying that although he remained in intensive care, “he continues to make positive steps and is in good spirits”.
Speaking alongside Raab, government chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said that the measures appeared to be working.
Although it was too easy to say for sure, new cases have “not gone sky high and if anything there might be some flattening”.
“We’re beginning to see the first signs of this levelling off” in hospital admissions, he added.