Lockdown measures likely to be extended, minister warns

After Boris Johnson spent a third night in intensive care, foreign secretary Dominic Raab will deputise for him by chairing a Cobra emergency committee on Thursday afternoon to discuss the lockdown measures with leaders of the devolved nations.

No decision is expected to be made at that meeting in the prime minister's absence, with key figures dealing with the response instead discussing whether to ease or strengthen the measures ahead of an announcement next week.

With Wednesday seeing a rise of 938 in the number of deaths in hospitals of patients who tested positive for Covid-19, the highest new total so far - and the prime minister still in hospital, there seems little chance of the lockdown being lifted.

However, the restrictions face their toughest test so far over the Easter weekend, with temperatures set to reach 25C (77F) in some parts of the country - which could tempt more people to break the stay-at-home rules.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden told the BBC: ‘I don't think it's very likely these measures are going to be changed given they're just starting to have an effect but, as we said, we would review them.

‘It's only prudent that on an ongoing basis we review them after three weeks.’

Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed there would be a review of the measures ‘in and around three weeks’ after they started.

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