Britain set to avoid second deadly wave of coronavirus after lockdown, says nation’s top scientist

Though the UK has now passed Italy to record the highest death toll in Europe, Sir Patrick Vallance told MPs he was “optimistic”.

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The chief scientific adviser explained: “I think if we do test, track and tracing well, and we keep the social distancing measures at the right level, we should be able to avoid a second wave.”

PM Boris Johnson is to reveal this weekend how restrictions will be eased.
It is likely millions can go back to work and that kids will return to school.

Sir Patrick told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee that experts were considering if rural and city areas should come out of lockdown at different rates.

Ten per cent of Londoners and four per cent of everyone else had caught the bug by early April — but regional easing could lead to travel difficulties.

He said evidence showed that the vast majority who caught the virus developed “some degree of protection” which was likely to last for “one, two, three years”.

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A further 693 Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday took the UK total to 29,427 – overtaking Italy’s tally of 29,315. Spain and France are next with 25,613 and 25,201 deaths.

And the global death toll passed a quarter of a million on Tuesday.

America is the country hardest hit with nearly 70,000 deaths, amid predictions that the toll will rise by 3,000 a day — accelerated by President Donald Trump’s determination to restart the US economy.

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