Coronavirus UK: Lockdown could be lifted if Britons follow guidelines

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned on Friday that although the daily death rate appears to be levelling off, it would be wrong to think that the restrictions are any less important.

UK coronavirus peak isn't over, Shapps warns

“The country has done incredibly well in adhering to social distancing and there is a danger as we go into yet another warm sunny weekend that people think that perhaps these graphs are showing that the peak is over,” he said.

"It isn't over, we're riding perhaps, we hope, a downward trend but it is by no means, no means established yet."

Figures at Friday’s briefing showed an increase of between 2% and 3% in transport use across the UK. Data from Apple, which uses the daily usage of Apple Maps to reflect movement trends, also suggests that Londoners have begun venturing out more in the last three weekends.

The Mirror reports that Home Secretary Priti Patel will use Saturday’s Downing Street briefing to emphasise the importance of continuing to follow government advice, with a potential tightening of restrictions on the cards if people do breach lockdown.

Government reportedly mulling allowing limited socialising

However, that report goes on to say that if the current measures are observed then the UK may see some restrictions dropped in the near future. It is believed that the UK government is considering allowing people to socialise with nominated ‘bubbles’ of people outside of their households. This would permit people visiting a small group of friends or family for the first time since the lockdown was announced on 23 March.

This Monday will mark five weeks since Boris Johnson first announced the ban on all non-essential travel and one week until the next update is expected.

Countries elsewhere in Europe prepare to ease restrictions

The UK’s lockdown came later than in other European countries and some have already begun to loosen their restrictions. Germany has begun opening selected small shops to ease the economic pressure and Belgium today revealed a three-phase plan to lift the lockdown.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil a plan on Tuesday with the country expected to begin gradually reopening from 11 May. French Health Minister Oliver Véran confirmed on Friday that a study by the French School of Public Health (EHESP) had found that up to 60,000 deaths had been saved due to France’s lockdown measures.

“It is very probable that we have collectively, all the French, saved tens of thousands of lives by respecting confinement, and maybe even more,” he said.