The government hopes to reopen zoos when it can be done in a 'safe way', Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
Mr Hancock led Friday's government briefing on coronavirus where he was met with questions from journalists over the R rate and on the possibility of local lockdowns.
He was also asked by a member of the public, Sam from Chester, when zoos will reopen.
While Mr Hancock, who is also from Chester, didn't provide an exact date on when they'll be able to open up to the public again, he did say he hopes they can reopen in a safe way.
Speaking from Downing Street, he said: "It’s something close to my heart because Chester Zoo is fantastic. Coming from Chester myself I know it extremely well.
"I hope we can open them in a safe way," he continued. "Unlike shops that can close, you still have to be there looking after animals. I very much hope we can get them reopen in a safe way.
"It’s got to be done in a way that doesn’t allow the R rate to go above 1," he added.
The question comes as open markets and car dealerships have been given the green light to reopen at the start of the month, with more non-essential shops reopening from June 15.
It also follows a fundraising plea from Chester Zoo, who has said they're facing debts of £24m by the end of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As one of the UK's largest zoos, it has 35,000 animals to take care of still, regardless of whether their doors are open to the public or not.
Around 97 percent of the zoo's funding comes from visitors walking through the gates, which is something that hasn't been able to happen since the country first went into lockdown in March.
Despite raising £45,000 via a Justgiving page, the zoo needs to raise £1.6m each month to survive.
