Brits overwhelmingly oppose lifting the coronavirus lockdown today, a poll has revealed.
As the UK heads into its eighth week of strict social distancing, nine in ten people surveyed for a Sun on Sunday poll say they do not want the Prime Minister to ease restrictions yet.
Most Brits fear a second wave of the deadly bug more than the economic consequences of businesses and workplaces being shut, the research by Deltapoll found.
Just four per cent of adults say they want a phased return to work starting now, and only two per cent feel lockdown has gone on for too long.
This is despite eight in ten (79 per cent) also feeling concerned about the damage restrictions will do to the economy.
Nearly half (45%) even believe their jobs could disappear if the crisis goes on much longer.
For the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, read our liveblog here
It comes as Boris Johnson prepares to address the nation tonight, setting out a "roadmap" for what life in the UK will look like over the coming weeks and months.
Under current measures to slow the spread of Covid-19, Brits cannot leave their homes unless shopping for food, attending a medical appointment, helping a vulnerable person or taking exercise once a day.
But with the country's death toll now topping 31,000 after a further 346 deaths were reported today, a third of Brits (35 per cent) want restrictions to remain in place until the highly contagious virus is dealt with.
Half of adults are content to remain at home if their wages continue to be covered by their employer, or the government's furlough scheme.
Deltapoll director Martin Boon says the result show that the UK public fears the virus more than its economic consequences.
"So far, Britain’s workers are happy to stay locked up so long as money keeps flowing their way, even though many fear for the country’s economic future," he said.
“There is a real fear that the economy is going down the tubes but the public still puts handling of the virus and lives lost ahead of economic consequences."
The poll also shows a majority of the public approve of Mr Johnson's handling of the crisis, with 62 per cent saying he is doing well and 30 per cent saying he is doing badly.
However, there are concerns about the shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers, with 59% saying the government is doing badly in this area.
Meanwhile 68% are worried about the crisis in care homes, and do not feel residents and staff have been adequately protected.
The PM is expected to tell the country to "stay alert, control the virus and save lives" when he outlines his "road map" to a new normality later today.
Mr Johnson is planning to tell workers who cannot do their jobs from home to begin returning to their workplaces while following social-distancing rules.
It is understood that a warning system administered by a new “joint biosecurity centre” will detect local increases in infection rates, with the view to locally alter restrictions in England.
With the alerts ranging from green in level one to red in level five, Mr Johnson is expected to say the nation is close to moving down from four to three.
However, he is also likely to warn that the risks are now greater than at any stage of the crisis, and to urge "maximum caution" as some measures as relaxed.
