The Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, has rejected fresh calls for an early easing of the UK's coronavirus lockdown, saying the outbreak was still at a “delicate and dangerous” stage.
The government is coming under intense pressure from senior Tories to relax the strict social-distancing measures, amid concern at the damage they are doing to the economy.
But Mr Raab, who has been standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he recovers from the disease, maintained the government would proceed “cautiously” in order to avoid a second peak in the outbreak.
He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: "We are at a delicate and dangerous stage.
“We need to make sure that the next steps are sure-footed, which is why we are proceeding very cautiously and we are sticking to the scientific advice with the social-distancing measures at this time, whilst doing all the homework to make sure that we are prepared in due course for the next phase.”
Mr Raab brushed off a call from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for the government to set out an “exit strategy” explaining how the lockdown could eventually be lifted.
“Until we can be confident, based on the scientific advice, that we are making sure-footed steps going forward that protect life, but also preserve our way of life, frankly it is not responsible to start speculating about the individual measures,” he added.
Figures released on Saturday revealed that more than 20,000 people have died of coronavirus in the UK's hospitals and the daily death toll increased by 813.
The lockdown measures, which were introduced in March, can only be eased when the government is able to find an exit strategy to avoid a second wave of coronavirus cases.
Earlier, Mr Raab said it was "inconceivable" that schools would re-open in the UK without some form of social distancing measures.
The Prime Minister, meanwhile, will return to work tomorrow after recovering from the virus and is said to be "raring to go".
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