UK expected to extend lockdown as COVID-19 deaths continue to rise
As of Thursday, 13,729 people have died in U.K. hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus, an increase of 861 from a day earlier.
New Delhi: UK is expected to extend its nationwide lockdown by up to three weeks on Thursday as officials seek extra time to prepare an exit strategy.
Before the official announcement, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said “it is too early to make a change” to the lockdown the government ordered on March 23 to slow the spread of the virus. Schools, pubs, restaurants and most shops are closed, and most people are allowed to leave home only for essential errands or exercise.
“I understand those who are calling for an end to the lockdown or some kind of exit strategy to start now, but I think it’s just too early for that,” Hancock said.
The UK’s virus peak is expected to happen in the coming days, at present 12,868 people have now died. On Wednesday, the UK’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said the outbreak is “probably reaching the peak overall”.
As of Thursday, 13,729 people have died in U.K. hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus, an increase of 861 from a day earlier. That number still understates the true toll of the pandemic since those figures do not include hundreds, and maybe thousands, of virus-related deaths in nursing homes and other settings.