'KEEP GOING'
NHS chief warns outdoor crowds risks second coronavirus peak after lowest daily death toll this month of 413
AN NHS chief today warned Brits that breaking the lockdown could risk a second coronavirus peak as the UK reported this month's lowest daily death toll of 413.
Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, says we must stick to the government's rules - after latest stats show there has been a "slight uptick" in the number of people using their cars and going out.
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The warning comes as Covid-19 deaths in the UK hit more than 20,700 and the death toll rose by 413 today.
Positive cases have also risen to 152,840 from 148,377 as Britain prepares to enter week five of drastic lockdown measures.
Today, Professor Powis said during the daily Downing Street briefing that the nation needed to '"remind ourselves that this has been a really tough four weeks and we don't want to lose the benefits".
He said the social distancing measures are "paying off" after there have been declines in the death rate, particularly in London, and deaths "now plateauing" around the country.
However, Prof Powis added: "I should emphasise those benefits have only occurred not by luck, but because people have complied with the instructions we have all been given and they have followed the science."
And he urged us all to buckle down and continue complying with the lockdown.
"It will only continue to pay off if we continue to keep social distancing," he said.
"My fear, as the fear of all of us is, is that those curves won't continue to be on a downward trend but will start to go in an upward trend, and we are not at the point that any of us can be absolutely confident that that is not going to be the case.
"We want to avoid a second peak, we want to avoid a rise and so I can't emphasise enough that this is not the time to say, 'Actually we've done a good job'."
It comes as:
- Dominic Raab said a coronavirus vaccine is "unlikely to come this year"
- 'Fired up' Boris Johnson is due to return to work tomorrow to lead the fight against the disease
- Fed-up Brits hit parks and DIY stores today amid fears lockdown is cracking
- High street shops could ban couples and close changing rooms when they reopen
- The government has ordered 50million 'game changer' coronavirus immunity tests
- Cops may increase fines for coronavirus lockdown flouters
The government today confirmed there have been 20,732 total deaths in hospital from the disease in the UK.
Today's jump of 413 is the lowest daily increase in deaths this month after 439 people lost their lives on April 6.
But there is usually a lag in reporting the figures over the weekend so the number could rise again next week.
Prof Powis said at the No10 briefing: "All our efforts, hard though they may be, have begun to pay off."
In England today, 336 more people have died - bringing the total number of deaths in hospital to 18,420.
NHS England confirmed the latest victims were aged between 28 and 100 - with 22 having no underlying health conditions.
In Wales today, a further 14 people have died - bringing the total number of deaths to 788.
Scotland has suffered a further 18 coronavirus deaths - with their total now on 1,249.
There have been no figures reported for Northern Ireland yet.
Among the latest deaths is a nurse who fought for life alongside Boris Johnson at St Thomas' Hospital in London.
Dad Larni Zuniga, 53, who worked at CHD Living’s Surrey Hills care home, died from the disease on Friday.
Ward manager Andy Costa, 58, who devoted 26 years of his life to the NHS, also died on Friday after contracting coronavirus.
The number of NHS workers killed by Covid-19 has reached 104 — a rise of 61 in a week.
Coronavirus deaths yesterday passed the government's best-case scenario of up to 20,000 victims after 813 more people died.
The grim milestone was given back in March as a benchmark for Britain "doing very well" in the pandemic.
Britain is now the fifth country to pass 20,000 deaths in hospital from Covid-19 - behind the US, Italy, Spain and France.
The expert who caused Boris Johnson to pull the lockdown trigger has now claimed 100,000 people could die in the UK from the disease if the measures are lifted too soon.
Professor Neil Ferguson warned it would be impossible to send some people back to work without seeing a huge increase in deaths.
It comes as the government ordered 50million new "game-changing" coronavirus immunity tests.
Ministers hope the breakthrough by a team of British scientists will allow people to go back to work if they are safe from the virus when the pinprick tests are rolled out in June.
If they are immune, Brits will be allowed to return to socialising and working as they did before the coronavirus lockdown.
Dominic Raab today rejected fresh calls for an early lifting of lockdown as the pandemic is still at a "delicate and dangerous" stage.
The Foreign Secretary said the government would proceed "cautiously"; to avoid a deadly second wave of the virus.
His comments came after Priti Patel yesterday told Brits it is "imperative" to follow lockdown rules.
The Home Secretary warned "we are not out of danger yet" as she thanked people for their "spirit of national unity".
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Ms Patel told the No10 briefing: "Staying at home for five weeks has changed the way we live our lives and I know how tough this has been.
"This country's efforts are working...you have fostered a spirit of national unity which has helped us get through this time.
"But we are not out of danger yet.
"It is imperative that people continue to follow the rules designed to protect their families, their friends and their loved ones."
Boris Johnson is due to return to work tomorrow after spending the past two weeks recovering from coronavirus.
The PM has told aides: “I’m raring to go.”
He arrived back in Downing Street tonight.
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He will immerse himself in briefings with his team and set out his priorities for the week ahead.
Cabinet ministers will give one-to-one updates and he will grill them on their departments’ battles with the virus.
The global coronavirus death toll has now passed 200,000 as the number of people infected nears three million.
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Dominic Raab confirms Boris Johnson is 'raring to go' as he's set for No10 return to lead fight against coronavirus
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