Government expected to announce lockdown will be extended for three more weeks

Ministers will meet on Thursday morning to agree to prolong the social distancing controls announced on March 23, amid signs the epidemic in the UK is beginning to peak.

The cabinet meeting comes after the number of people who have died in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 reached almost 13,000, with growing concern over increasing deaths in care homes.

The victims included a pregnant nurse whose baby, a little girl, was delivered successfully and is said to be doing well.

Downing Street said the three-week review of the lockdown regulations will go ahead as planned in line with the coronavirus legislation.

However, ministers and officials have repeatedly made clear there is no prospect of any imminent relaxation.

On Wednesday night, health minister Nadine Dorries took to Twitter to urge journalists to stop asking about an exit strategy.

She said: ‘There is only one way we can 'exit' full lockdown and that is when we have a vaccine. Until then, we need to find ways we can adapt society and strike a balance between the health of the nation and our economy.’

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the party will back an extension, but has called on ministers to set out an exit strategy explaining how restrictions will eventually be lifted.

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