As cases fall... chance to go shopping again

CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN EASING

- Macer Hall

BORIS Johnson will today tell ministers that many more shops and businesses will be allowed to reopen next week in a further easing of the lockdown.

The Prime Minister is to confirm at a Cabinet meeting this morning that the Government’s test-and-trace effort will be operational within days to allow the country to move to the second phase of lifting restrictions.

It come as it was revealed there has been 118 more coronavirus deaths – a 30 per cent fall since last week.

Last Sunday, the figure was 170. The new total deaths announced yesterday stood at 36,793.

Lowest

The Prime Minister confirmed the daily death figure at yesterday’s press briefing.

It is the lowest since lockdown came into effect on March 23.

The R rate, which reflects the way the virus is spreading, remains between 0.7 and 1 across the UK. If the rate is less than one, each existing infection causes less than one new infection on average.

The PM will ask Whitehall departments to give many nonessential businesses the go-ahead to start trading from June 1.

Market stalls, car sales centres and other outdoor businesses are expected to be in the first wave of reopenings.

Other non-essential retail outlets that can accommodate social distancing are also set to be granted permission to welcome back customers. Garden fetes will be allowed and National Trust parks will be able to open as long as indoor attractions still remain out of bounds to visitors.