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Chronicle Live
National
Jessica Sansome & Michael Marsh

When we will know details of the UK's imminent coronavirus lockdown extension

The UK has entered its fourth week of lockdown and it doesn't look like ending any time soon.

For weeks now pubs, clubs, theatres and gyms, among other places, have been closed and we have been forced into a quieter way of life.

The public was told by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that we were only allowed to leave the house for one of a handful of reasons.

This only includes shopping for basic necessities; partaking in one form of exercise a day; for a medical need or travelling to work if it is absolutely necessary.

Mr Johnson made this announcement on Monday, March 23, when he said that the strict measures will be reviewed in three weeks.

This takes us to around April 13, however, the question of when this could end remains.

The first review of the coronavirus lockdown measures is set to be carried out by Thursday, April 16 at the latest. This is the deadline set out in law.

Scientific advisers will meet on Tuesday but it is almost certain that lockdown won't be lifted yet.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said there are some “positive signs” from the latest data that show the UK is “starting to win this struggle” against coronavirus but warned: “We are still not past the peak.”

Speaking at Monday’s Downing Street press conference, Mr Raab praised people for staying at home during the Easter weekend and added: “Our plan is working. Please stick with it and we’ll get through this crisis together.”

He explained that this week the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) would review the evidence of the effectiveness of social distancing measures.

"We don't expect to make any changes to the measures currently in place at that point and we won't until we're confident, as confident as we realistically can be, that any such changes can be safely made," Mr Raab added.

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