Britain unlikely to lift Coronavirus lockdown until end of May
LONDON: Britain is unlikely to lift its stringent lockdown rules until the end of May, a leading government adviser said on Saturday, warning that the spread of the virus must first slow and intense testing be introduced.
The government has put Britain into a widespread shutdown, closing pubs, restaurants and nearly all shops, while ordering people to stay home unless absolutely essential to venture out.
The order is designed to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country, which has almost 40,000 confirmed cases and 3,605 deaths.
Almost one million people have applied for welfare benefits in just two weeks in Britain, according to official data that shows the economy is set for a depression that could be worse than the slump in the 1930s.
Meanwhile, Spain recorded a second successive daily drop in Coronavirus-related deaths with 809 fatalities, official figures showed on Saturday.
The total number of deaths in Spain now stands at 11,744, second only to Italy. A record 950 people died on Thursday. The number of new cases also slowed at 7,026, taking the total to 124,736.
Recoveries over the last 24 hours stood at 3,706, taking that total to 34,219.
The New York State reported its highest number of 562 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, with a person dying almost every two-and-ahalf minutes, as Governor Andrew Cuomo allowed redistribution of ventilators and protective gear to hospitals with greater need.