The United Kingdom is not considering lifting lockdown and social distancing restrictions related to efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus in the country, said Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove on Sunday.
Britain has one of the highest infection and death rates from the coronavirus, behind the U.S. and several other European nations. The U.K. has reported 121,168 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, 16,060 deaths and 426 recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Britain has a population of 66 million.
“The facts and the advice are clear at the moment that we should not be thinking of lifting of these restrictions yet,” Mr. Gove said to Sky News.
His comments come just days after the British government announced it is extending its coronavirus lockdown for three more weeks as the country races to contain the spread.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been deputizing for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from COVID-19, said Thursday that advice to continue prevention measures led to the decision to remain in place for at least the next three weeks.
The U.K. is seeing the number of daily confirmed cases and deaths flattening, but officials and health experts have warned the country is not yet at its peak.
“One of the things that is deeply worrying and concerning is the high level of deaths,” Mr. Gove said.
“The evidence suggests that the rate of infection and the death rate is flattening,” he continued, “but we’re not absolutely certain that we are yet on a downward trajectory.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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