Boris Johnson says UK lockdown may be eased by Monday as he returns to PMQs for first time

Imogen Braddick6 May 2020
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Lockdown measures may start to be lifted on Monday "if we possibly can", Boris Johnson has announced.

At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said the Government hopes to start easing the coronavirus lockdown early next week.

Addressing MPs and the nation this lunchtime, he confirmed he would give a speech on Sunday to announce the roadmap out of lockdown.

MPs questioned why he is not going straight to the Commons to tell them first.

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Asked why he was breaking with the usual rules, the Prime Minister said: "The reason for that is very simple, that we have to be sure the the data is going to support our ability to do this.

"That data is coming in continuously over the next few days. We want if we possibly can to get going with some of these measures on Monday."

But Mr Johnson also warned it would be an “economic disaster” to relax the lockdown in a way which triggered a second spike in coronavirus cases.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford advised against easing the lockdown too soon, insisting it must remain in place “for as long as it’s needed” and discouraged people travelling to tourist areas.

Mr Johnson replied in the Commons: “I think the last few weeks have shown the ability of the governments of all four nations to come together and to deliver very clear messages for our people and I think the collaboration has been extremely helpful.

“We will certainly be working with the government in Scotland, the Opposition, unions, business to make sure we get the un-lockdown plan completely right.”

He added: “It’d be an economic disaster for this country if we were to pursue a relaxation of these measures now in such a way as to trigger a second spike – on that point I’m in complete agreement with him.”

His comments came as the UK's death toll hit 32,313, according to the latest figures from the Official for National Statistics.

The figures suggest the UK could be the worst-hit in Europe, but experts have warned it could be months before full comparisons can be made between countries.

Mr Johnson has set a new target of 200,000 coronavirus tests a day "by the end of the month" and admitted he "bitterly regrets" the crisis in care homes.

But he told the Commons that there had been a “palpable improvement” in cares homes in the last few days.

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Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “Yesterday’s figures that show that whilst happily in hospitals it looks as though deaths are falling, deaths in care homes continue to go up.

“At the press conference last night, the deputy chief scientific adviser said, and I quote, ‘what this shows us is that there’s a real issue that we need to get to grips with in relation to what’s happening in care homes.

“I couldn’t agree more, but 12 weeks after the Health Secretary declared that we’re in a health crisis, I have to ask the Prime Minister – why hasn’t the Government got to grips with this already?”

The Prime Minister responded: “I can tell him actually that he’s not right in what he just said about the state of the epidemic in care homes because if he looks at the figures, in the last few days, there has been a palpable improvement.

“We must hope that that continues and we will ensure that it does continue.”

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