Coronavirus in UK: 'No end to lockdown for 'several more weeks'

Experts advising the UK Government on the crisis said the social-distancing measures introduced last month appeared to be working better than expected.

However they insisted there could be no relaxation of the restrictions until it was clear the peak of the epidemic was past.

The warning followed the announcement on Thursday that Boris Johnson had been discharged from intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital where he is being treated for the disease.

Scientists say the UK lockdown will last several more weeks | PA (Press Association)

The death toll continued to rise with more than 900 deaths in hospitals being announced on Friday by the NHS giving an overall figure of around 9,000. Deaths in care homes and elsewhere are not recorded in those figures so the real number of dead toll is likely to be considerably higher.

Downing Street said that Mr Johnson was in "extremely good spirits" and would be receiving close monitoring during "the early phase of his recovery".

With fine weather forecast for many parts of the country over the long bank holiday weekend, minister fear people may flout the rules and flock to beaches and beauty spots.

NHS England's national medical director Stephen Powis said it was "critical" that people obeyed the instructions and stayed at home.

"We are beginning to see the benefits of this social distancing. We do believe the virus is spreading less" he said.

"That will only continue to happen if we don't get complacent and continue to follow those instructions."

The warning came as the latest official figures showed the number of hospital patients in the UK who had died after testing positive for Covid-19 had risen to 7,978 as of 5pm on Wednesday - an increase of 881 on the previous day.

The Government is due to carry out the first three-week review of the lockdown measures next week.

It was reported today that 95 people have now died from coronavirus in Scotland - an increase of 48 deaths overnight.

The number of confirmed cases has risen to 5,275 up 318 from Thursday.

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