Crowds have been flouting the coronavirus lockdown rules as they flocked outside to bask in 79F sunshine.
Police were out in force in an attempt to crack down on the sunbathers in parks who continue to disregard Government pleas for Britons to stay indoors this Easter weekend.
Coronavirus claimed 980 lives yesterday bringing the UK’s spiralling victim count to 8,958.
The stark figure marks the worst day on record for hospitals in any country in Europe, including in Italy.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in yesterday’s coronavirus briefing that people must do their part to help NHS staff who are ‘battling day and night’ to save desperately-ill people.
‘They need you to stay at home,’ he told the daily briefing in Downing Street.
Crowds have been flouting the coronavirus lockdown rules as they flocked outside to bask in 79F sunshine including on Beachy Head in Eastbourne (pictured)
These risky sunbathers were allegedly spotted flouting Government guidelines in Bethune Park in Barnet earlier today
Coronavirus claimed 980 lives yesterday bringing the UK’s spiralling victim count to 8,958. Pictured: People wear face masks as they take their daily exercise in Victoria Park, London
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in yesterday’s coronavirus briefing that people must do their part to help NHS staff who are ‘battling day and night’ to save desperately-ill people. Pictured: Two wardens talk to people exercising Victoria Park, London
Boarder Force officers on patrol at the seaside resort of West Bay in Dorset on a hot day sunny during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown over the Easter Weekend
A sign reads ‘village closed to all visitors’ in the Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire
Under government guidelines, residents are only allowed outside for essential trips – i.e. to the doctor or the supermarket – or for one exercise a day. Pictured: Primrose Hill, London
Forces up and down the country have been forced to intervene with police on horseback patrolling outdoor spaces in London and Blackpool.
Officers in Cambridge have had to break up groups of park visitors who congregated to enjoy the sunshine.
Under government guidelines, residents are only allowed outside for essential trips – i.e. to the doctor or the supermarket – or for one exercise a day.
A police officer on a horse talks to sunbathers in Victoria Park, London, as Britons continue to bask in the glorious Easter sunshine
Police officers move in on a woman swimming in the sea after ignoring initial requests to stop during easter weekend at Bognor Regis seafront, West Sussex
A policeman was spotted speaking to a man who was catching some rays while sunbathing on Brighton beach this Easter weekend
Mounted police officers patrol Victoria Park, London, as they crack down on people flouting coronavirus lockdown rules
A woman talks to a police officer on horseback in a London park as the warm weather brings many Britons outdoors
A group of eight police officers was seen walking past people taking their daily exercise in St James’s Park in central London
Two police community support officers were seen talking to a man in a Yorkshire Ambulance Service vehicle in Scarborough
A sign which reads, ‘Tourists go home’, has been put up on the A470 between Mallwyn and Dolgellau in Snowdonia National Park in Wales
Two police officers patrolled Scarborough’s coastline as the UK remains under strict lockdown to slow the spread of deadly coronavirus
In Cambridge, police officers spoke to a woman sat on a bench in a park as forces across the country cracked down on people disregarding lockdown rules
A police officer asks a couple not to sit on a bench in The Royal Pump Room Gardens in Leamington Spa in central England
Victoria Park, in Hackney, reopened today after having been closed by the council for two-and-a-half weeks. Strict measures were put in place – including closed benches.
Mounted police officers were also seen patrolling the streets of Blackpool to make sure life-saving social distancing measures were being followed
Park wardens used a megaphone in Victoria Park, east London, after it was reopened with new control measures during the coronavirus outbreak
One man decided to take advantage of the warm Easter weekend weather and relaxed on the grass in Hyde Park
In other developments:
- Boris Johnson can now have ‘short walks’ as he continues to recover while playing Sudoku and watching films including Withnail And I;
- Police apologised after an officer scolded a family for allowing their children to play on their own lawn;
- Polling showed most Britons are heeding the call to stay at home;
- Heads called for pupils to return to school before the summer break amid fears they may be off until September;
- Government experts said social distancing measures that have been placed upon the UK could be ‘indefinite’;
- The total global death toll from coronavirus reached 100,000.
A group of six officers patrolled Glasgow Green to make sure visitors are following coronavirus lockdown guidelines
Two people walked past a group of police officers in Glasgow Green. The Easter weekend has brought bright sunshine country-wide
Strict measures were put in place at Victoria Park in Hackney this weekend – including no cycling. Numerous cyclists were told to get off their bikes by officials with loudhailers and sirens
Police patrolled the seafront in Brighton to make sure social distancing rules were being followed. Runners and walkers were seen on their daily exercise
Runners and walkers passed by a police car waiting on the seafront in Brighton to make sure vital social distancing guidelines were being followed
In Margate, Kent, locals were spoken to by two police officers who are making sure social distancing guidelines are being followed in the area
Two policemen speak to a man who is sat on the beach in Margate, Kent. Britons are only permitted to leave their homes for exercise or vital trips
A man and a woman sit in the park in Clifton Down, Bristol, to enjoy the bright sunshine on Saturday as Britain’s lockdown continues
Police cars patrolled Clifton Down, Bristol, where people are exercised in the bank holiday sunshine. Police have been forced to crack down on revellers breaking social distancing guidelines
A man can be seen sunbathing in Clifton Down, Bristol, as the Easter bank holiday brings bright sunshine to the country
Two women sunbathe on the grass in Bristol as Britain remains in strict coronavirus lockdown to curb the spread of deadly coronavirus
Two people are seen exercising in Hyde Park as the Easter weekend brings bright sunshine up and down the country
A man does yoga in Hyde Park, London, in the glorious weather despite the coronavirus lockdown
A couple sit on a bench in Hyde Park to soak up the sunshine as the bank holiday weekend brings clear skies
Britons flocked to Regent’s Canal in east London to enjoy the warm weather. The pathway was crowded with residents taking their one daily exercise
A sign reading ‘Covid-19 Wales is closed’ was put up in Bala, Gwynedd, in a bid to deter Britons from travelling into the region to enjoy the bright Easter sunshine
Park wardens with a megaphone patrolled Victoria Park, London, today to make sure social distancing measures were understood by visitors
A police car was spotted in Victoria Park, London, to ensure coronavirus lockdown rules were followed by visitors
Police in a Cambridge park were forced to break up a family who were out to enjoy a picnic in the bright Easter sunshine
Families with young children took to a Cambridge park to enjoy the Easter sunshine during Britain’s coronavirus lockdown
Victoria Park was teeming with joggers and walkers taking their one daily exercise after the park was reopened with social distancing measures in place
Victoria Park in east London was a popular spot for locals to take their daily walk or run. The park was recently reopened with reduced hours and strict guidelines
A police car patrolled Victoria Park in east London to make sure visitors were obeying strict social distancing rules put in place
Strict social distancing guidelines were advertised at Victoria Park, east London, to make sure visitors stayed safe amid the coronavirus pandemic today
The Government pleaded with British people to stay at home this bank holiday as the country looks set for glorious summer weather. Pictured: A bench in Brockwell Park, London, is taped off today
A group of revellers with a dog sat on the grass in Brockwell Park, London, despite pleas from the government to stay indoors
Revellers flocked to sunny parks to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. Pictured: People were seen walking and cycling in Brockwell Park, London. Some chose to sit on the grass
Exercise equipment is taped up so people have to train around it in Brockwell Park, south London today during the sunny lockdown
Brockwell Park is pretty quiet now Lambeth Council has taped up all the benches, shut the exercise areas, put up signs and organised patrols by wardens, however these people were still seen there today
One man finds a shady spot to sit down near Bournemouth Pier today during the sunny lockdown
A warden tells cyclists and a motorist off at Windsor Castle today during the lockdown. People have been told not to go out unless it is for exercise or to buy essential food
Many Britons ventured out to stock up for Easter Sunday as shoppers formed huge queues outside butchers, bakers and grocers.
Shoppers obeyed coronavirus social distancing rules by standing six feet apart as they queued up for a butcher in Clapham Common, London
Long lines were also seen outside a shop in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, and a Tesco in Dorking, Surrey, as Britons stocked up ahead of the weekend.
But many did heed the government’s warnings with some popular outdoor spaces nearly deserted including Brighton Pier and stretches of beach along Bournemouth’s coastline.
This is a stark contrast to last year’s hectic scenes with thousands of visitors flocking to spend last Easter outdoors.
The Met Office said the next few days will bring highs of 78.8F in London, while much of England and Wales is expected to record temperatures of 64.4F to 75.2F.
Police and military boats will patrol the south coast beaches, with officers using megaphones to shout at those flouting social distancing rules.
Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said coastal areas such as Brighton and Margate could see highs of 64.4F.
Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are likely to record temperatures of 59F to 64.4F, he said.
Paul Netherton, deputy chief constable of Devon and Cornwall said that the force was in conversation with the Ministry of Defence and that it would be deploying boats off the coast.
A woman sits against a tree to read her book and soak up the sunshine in Hyde Park, London today during the UK coronavirus lockdown
A group of men were seen playing football in Hilly Fields Park, Lewisham, as the coronavirus lockdown continues
A couple were seen sunbathing in the bright Easter sunshine watching two men play football in the sunshine at Hilly Fields, South London
In Hyde Park, London, a family were seen out for their daily exercise enjoying the bright Easter sunshine on Saturday
Hyde park was busy with visitors. One family appear to be throwing a ball for their dog as it plays on the grass in the sunshine
One man was seen playing croquet on the grass in Hyde Park, London, as the Easter weekend brings bright sunshine for much of the country
Two police officers spoke to a man sitting on a bench in Primrose Hill, London, over the Easter bank holiday
A runner jogged along in Brockwell Park, London as part of his one exercise a day as the coronavirus lockdown continues nation-wide
A runner makes her way through Victoria Park in east London as the country remains under strict lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus
Some Britons did obey the rules as Blackpool’s seafront was left eerily deserted on Easter Sunday with a police car on standby
On this day last year, this beach in Bournemouth, Dorset, was so busy there was barely room to move. This year – amid the coronavirus lockdown – the beach was almost empty
A further 5,706 people were diagnosed with coronavirus in the past 24 hours, meaning a total of 70,783 have now tested positive.
Officials managed a record 19,116 tests, a marked increase in its daily effort from 10,713 yesterday.
A total of 980 deaths is the highest daily hospital death toll for any country in Europe, with the previous high 950 in Spain on April 3.
France, however, is recording higher death tolls – up to 2,000 in a day – because it is routinely recording deaths that happen in care homes as well as hospitals, something most nations aren’t doing.
England recorded 866 new fatalities among infected patients in hospital, while another 114 were confirmed in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
With spiralling death tolls forcing police to take action, many forces have come under fire for being too harsh.
Home Secretary Priti Patel called on officers not to be ‘heavy-handed’ during the coronavirus lockdown which could last for about a year.
Another sign urging travellers to ‘turn back and go home’ was seen in Bala, Gwynedd, as the glorious Easter sunshine sparks fears that visitors will travel to the region
Another sign read ‘No non-essential travel. So why are you here?’ in Bala to protect its locals from the spread of coronavirus
Two men gazed out of an apartment window in Kennington as the coronavirus lockdown continues. The Easter weekend will bring glorious sunshine up and down the country
The Brighton coast this year was nearly empty, a stark contrast to the bustling scenes seen along the seafront in 2019
Brighton pier and the pebbled beach nearby was nearly empty as locals choose to obey lockdown rules and stay indoors
Two men relax on an inflatable boat on Regent’s Canal in east London today as the hot weather hits the capital during lockdown
People take their daily exercise on the towpath alongside the Regent’s Canal in east London today as many are forced to stay indoors due to the lockdown
Normal life will stay on hold until a virus vaccine becomes available in about 18 months, officials said last night.
Advice to work from home and stay in for seven days if you have symptoms will probably still be in place next year.
Ministers want to lift the most restrictive parts of the lockdown, including school and shop closures, within weeks.
But senior Government sources say the only true ‘exit strategy’ is a vaccine or a cure. Until then, the UK will have to adjust to a ‘new normal’.
An official last night told The Telegraph that social distancing measures that have been placed upon Britons could be ‘indefinite’.
Official plans to encourage social distancing on a long term, voluntary basis, have also been discussed, as the government continues to hold talks on how long Britons can cope with the current measures. Some measures, such as remote working, could be left in place for longer.
Dominic Raab, standing in for the Prime Minister while he is sick, has said it is ‘too early’ to lift the full lockdown, which will be formally extended next Thursday for several weeks.
Scientists expect the restrictions to be phased out gradually. They say some will stay in place until there is a vaccine – which they expect to take 18 months – to prevent infection levels soaring again.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night admitted the economic impact of the lockdown will cause deaths.
Ministers want to strike a balance between controlling the epidemic and mitigating damage caused by the lockdown.
Cyclists, dog walkers and joggers were seen in New Brighton near Liverpool as the UK continues to remain under strict lockdown
Rules which inflict the most harm, such as the closure of schools and small firms, will be relaxed first. But a source leading the Government’s response said other effective measures not as damaging to the economy will have to become ’embedded’.
This includes working from home and avoiding public transport if possible.
Coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September with an 80% likelihood it will work, says Oxford University expert leading research team
ByKumail Jaffer For The Daily Mail
Sarah Gilbert said she was ’80 per cent confident’ her team’s development would work by autumn
A coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September, it was reported last night.
Sarah Gilbert, an Oxford University professor currently leading Britain’s most advanced search for a vaccine, said she was ’80 per cent confident’ her team’s development would work by autumn.
Last month she was hopeful it could be developed by the end of 2020, but has now confirmed the most optimistic scenario after human trials look set to begin in the next fortnight.
The government has previously indicated it would fund the manufacture of millions of vaccine doses that looked promising in advance, allowing immediate availability to the public once developed.
Despite previous warnings a vaccine could take 18 months to produce, Professor Gilbert said the most bullish scenario for a working product was September ‘if everything goes perfectly’.
She told the Times: ‘I think there’s a high chance that it will work based on other things that we have done with this type of vaccine.
‘It’s not just a hunch and as every week goes by we have more data to look at. I would go for 80 percent, that’s my personal view.’
Her team, one of dozens around the world working to find a vaccine, will look to trial it in a country with a high virus transmission rate in order to obtain results quickly.
Britain’s lockdown makes it harder to test a vaccine due to the virus being unable to spread, she explained.
The vaccinologist said: ‘Nobody can promise it’s going to work.’
Her team were already in talks with the government over production to avoid any delays, however, and avoid a second infection spike in autumn.
She said: ‘We don’t want to get to later this year and discover we have a highly effective vaccine and we haven’t got any vaccine to use.
‘We don’t think we need facilities built, there are facilities that can be switched over.’
Ministers have hinted that it may be worth spending tens of millions on a working vaccine to offset the economic cost of lockdown.
Mr Hancock said: ‘We take into account the entire impact on the health and wellbeing of everyone in the country. Not just on the highly visible impact on the deaths from coronavirus, but right across the board, including indirectly through the economic impact.’
Mr Hancock has previously suggested Britons who have had the virus could be given immunity certificates but there is still no antibody test to identify them.
This is while senior officials also told The Telegraph that the economic downturn caused by the virus could create more premature deaths than the virus itself.
One source said: ‘We fully understand that – if there is a significant downturn in terms of people’s incomes – that can have a read across to their health.’
As Britons look to return to a more normal way of living, restaurants and pubs are expected to be among the first non-essential services to open but could be made to restrict the number of patrons they let in at once.
And football clubs could be forced to maintain low attendances at matches.
It comes as the vast majority of British people are heeding the Government’s call to stay at home to beat coronavirus.
Nine in ten people have left their house no more than once a day, according to a major attitudes-monitoring project led by Imperial College London.
The global study suggested the UK was better than almost every other country at adhering to the tough measures.
Almost two-thirds – 62 per cent – of Britons said they had not been within six feet of anyone outside their household in the last week in an incredible feat of social distancing.
Across all 13 nations included in the study, only 46 per cent of people could say the same.
Only Spain and Italy – both of which are under very strict lockdown – performed better, with 65 per cent and 67 per cent of people seeing nobody in the last seven days.
Government adviser Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said the lifting of social distancing could be done by age – with the young let back to work first.
Officials have warned that a vaccine programme will not be available until summer next year at the earliest. It took five years to develop a vaccine for ebola.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam yesterday said there were some signs of improvement but the UK was still in ‘a dangerous phase’.
Professor Paul Cosford of Public Health England suggested one of the first ways to ease the lockdown could be letting schools open.
‘Children are at very low risk of getting complications,’ he said.
A Cabinet source said factions are likely to form among ministers.
He added: ‘It will not take long to work out who the hawks and the doves are.’
The Institute for Fiscal studies says hundreds of thousands of Britons could develop physical and mental health conditions due to the lockdown.