The UK could soon be moving to the next phase of lockdown according to the Prime Minister - who is back in charge after recovering from coronavirus.
Boris Johnson has said that lifting lockdown restrictions will be a gradual process.
But with the current phase nearing an end, what will phase two of the UK lockdown entail?
Mr Johnson told reporters outside Downing Street yesterday (Monday) Britain would move into phase two of the lockdown once the government was certain its five key targets had been met.
Phase two would then involve a gradual easing of measures currently in place and a 'firing up' of the economy.
He said: “When we are sure that this first phase is over and that we are meeting our five tests – deaths falling, NHS protected, rate of infection down, really sorting out the challenges of testing and PPE, avoiding a second peak – then that will be the time to move on to the second phase in which we continue to suppress the disease and keep the reproduction rate – the R rate – down, but begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy.
“And in that process difficult judgments will be made and we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made, though clearly the Government will be saying much more about this in the coming days.”
The current lockdown measures are in place until at least May 7, when a review is expected to take place.
Mr Johnson promised the “maximum possible transparency” in taking the next steps and said efforts would be made to engage across party lines.
He again urged the public to continue to follow the social distancing guidelines and lockdown restrictions until any changes are made.
Mr Johnson has been away from work for three weeks after he was admitted to hospital with Covid-19.
At least 24,000 people in the UK have now died after suffering confirmed or suspected Covid-19, new figures show.
