The government is expected to extend restrictions to combat the spread of coronavirus beyond next week, according to multiple reports tonight.
Boris Johnson announced the three week lockdown on March 23, ordering the entire population not to leave the house apart from to buy food or medicine, exercise once a day, or to go to work if 'absolutely necessary'.
The Prime Minister is currently in intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened.
The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has temporarily stepped into his shoes and the biggest decision he has to make in Mr Johnson's absence is whether to extend the restrictions beyond next week.
According to widespread reports tonight, the government will announce that they will be extended for up to another three weeks.
Another 938 coronavirus deaths were announced on Wednesday, close to the highest daily figures reported in Italy and Spain.
Sources told The Guardian that Mr Raab is expected announce an extension of the restrictions at Thursday's daily press conference.
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak refused to be drawn on the topic at Wednesday's press conference.
"Rather than speculate about the future, I think we should focus very seriously on the here and now and the present," he said.
"Our priority right now is to stop the spread of this virus, to get to the other side of the peak and the best way to do that is for people to follow the advice which is to stay at home, protect lives and protect the NHS."
In line with legislation, the health secretary Matt Hancock must oversee a formal review of their impact by next Thursday, and then again three weeks after that.
It comes as police forces are expecting a difficult Easter weekend enforcing the lockdown.
In Greater Manchester, police are currently responding to hundreds of coronavirus-related incidents every day.
The region’s deputy mayor for policing and crime Bev Hughes said the number of so-called ‘COVID-19 incidents’ have risen considerably, with officers responding to 500 callouts a day last weekend.
Incidents include the dispersal of large gatherings, with GMP arresting and charging a Bury woman after being called to break up a house party several times.
Demand on call centres has remained stable, with emergency responders among the worst affected by absences as workers are forced to self-isolate.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing on Greater Manchester’s response to the pandemic, Ms Hughes said: “The vast majority of people are really respecting the rules at the moment, but there are a minority who are not.
“Last weekend police were out 500 times a day to incidents that were being reported to them.
“This resulted in the first person in Greater Manchester being charged under the Coronavirus Act.
“COVID-related incident figures vary a lot from about 100 up to over 400 a day.”
Despite national concerns over domestic abuse reports rising during the pandemic, Ms Hughes said this was not happening in Greater Manchester.
But she added that domestic abuse and other issues of safety remained a ‘key priority’ for GMP, and that officers would continue to respond to such calls as they normally would.
