How much longer do I have to stay in?

PLACING the UK into lockdown on March 23, the Government promised reviews of the coronavirus situation every three weeks. However, with the peak of the virus still some way off in Scotland and the rest of the UK, it seems a safe bet that we will not see a lift in restrictions this month.

But, as no one particularly enjoys being trapped inside their house for all but one daily bout of exercise (which has already been threatened with confiscation), the question is: when will it end?

So no April review?

Downing Street said yesterday that the plan to review measures would take place “on or around” the three-week mark on Monday but did not provide a specific date.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is standing in for a hospitalised Boris Johnson, previously said the review would not take place as scheduled, stressing that “taking our foot off the pedal” was the worst thing the country could do right now.

A Downing Street spokesman said that key Government advisers suggest it is still too early to predict when the pandemic will peak and urged the public to

“stick with it” at such a “critical time”.

What is Nicola Sturgeon saying? The First Minister has been similarly unequivocal in her warnings about lockdown measures being lifted.

At her daily briefing on Tuesday, Ms Sturgeon reiterated that constraints would remain in place “for a considerable period of time,” even after the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak, in order to make sure that the impact is kept on a “downward trajectory”.

What will trigger a relaxation of the rules?

Ministers and scientists have been reluctant to say what exact requirements must be met before they relax the rules, and are still emphasising the importance of practising social distancing.

England’s deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries has said that the UK must continue to be “responsible” before the lockdown can be lifted gradually, adding that the process was likely to be “spaced”.

Which other countries are in lockdown?

Many countries worldwide, including large parts of continental Europe and more than half of US states, are also in lockdown.

Restrictions in some badlyaffected European countries, including Italy, Spain and France, which have already been in lockdown for more than a month, will remain in place until mid-april at the earliest.

Have any of them relaxed restrictions?

Citizens in Wuhan, China – the city where the coronavirus crisis began – were officially taken out of a lockdown that began on January 23 yesterday, sparking celebration.

Restrictions have not been abandoned: schools remain closed, people’s temperatures are still checked before entering buildings, and masks are encouraged as the Chinese government looks to avoid a resurgence of the virus.

Norway says it plans to begin reducing lockdown from the end of April.