British finance minister Rishi Sunak said the government was not facing a choice between slowing the spread of the coronavirus or protecting the economy.
"It's clear we must defeat this virus as quickly as possible," Sunak told BBC television. "That is not a choice between health and economics. That defies common sense."
Some media have reported tensions between Sunak and health minister Matt Hancock over the duration of the government's coronavirus lockdown which is hammering the economy.
(Writing by William Schomberg; editing by Kate Holton)
