Our top medic tonight indicated life may not return to normal until a cure for Covid-19 is found.
The Sunday People asked NHS England medical director Stephen Powis if some restrictions might still be needed 18 months from now.
He said: “This was never going to be a sprint of a few weeks. It is going to be a marathon.
“The job of scientists and doctors is to provide the Government with the best possible strategies to manage this virus over the months to come, and probably over longer than months.”
A vaccine is between a year to 18 months away – and there are as yet no successful drugs to combat it.
Prof Powis stressed in a No10 news conference that we are still only in “round one” of the battle.
Sources say advice to work from home and stay in for seven days with symptoms are still likely to be in place next year.
But schools and shops may reopen within weeks with social distancing measures in place.
Yesterday, people largely resisted the temptation to go outside, despite temperatures of up to 25C.
Many respected the lockdown measures as Britain’s coronavirus death toll soars.
But Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said 1,084 on-the-spot fines had been issued for lockdown violations to date.
He also told how there has been a 21 per cent fall in overall crime.
Yesterday, the M6 – which is usually packed on a Bank Holiday weekend as families travel to the Lake District for an Easter break – was deserted.
And the sandy beach in Bournemouth, Dorset, was empty.
This was in sharp contrast to last year, when a record 640,000 tourists descended on the coastal town over the sunny Easter weekend.
Worried council officials had even taped off the seafront benches in case crowds of people appeared and padlocked the 2,000 beach huts along the promenade.
Things were equally quiet in St Ives, Cornwall.
There was not a single tourist in sight yesterday as police kept a watchful eye on the sands.
And walkers enjoying their daily exercise allowance on the prom in Blackpool, Lancs, had some mounted police officers for company.
In East London’s Victoria Park, vigilant youngsters were spotted wearing face masks as they maintained the recommended two-metre distancing measures.
Recorded messages, mounted police and volunteer wardens using megaphones were out in force at the park – which was forced to close last month after people flouted Government guidelines.
Images on social media that were taken in the park suggested some were still not following the rules.
But it seems the overwhelming majority have finally got the message that staying indoors will save lives.
Last night, a No10 spokesman said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was sitting up in his hospital bed.
He is expected to be out of action for several weeks as he recovers from Covid-19.
The spokesman said: “The Prime Minister continues to make very good progress.”
And Home Secretary Priti Patel added: “He needs some time and some space to rest, recuperate and recover.”
