Boris Johnson is 'reluctant to end lockdown over fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections'

The prospects of an early end to the crippling coronavirus lockdown receded today as Boris Johnson is understood to be prioritising staving off a second wave of infections.

The Prime Minister has told colleagues his 'overriding concern' is to avoid a second peak in the pandemic that would plunge the country back into turmoil.

Mr Johnson is still recuperating from the disease at Chequers, but conveyed his views during a two-hour meeting on Friday with foreign secretary Dominic Raab, senior adviser Dominic Cummings, communications director Lee Cain, and cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill. 

In a round of interviews this morning, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: 'The PM is very concerned about a second peak if we lift the restrictions too soon.' 

Government sources have also been frantically playing down the idea circulated by senior Tories over the weekend that schools could be reopened by mid-May, suggesting early June is more likely.   
 

The timetable emerged amid signs of Cabinet splits over how quickly to ease the draconian curbs, with fears the economic damage will kill more people than the virus itself. 

Mr Johnson seems to be taking a more cautious stance than Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove. Hawks in government point out the NHS has some spare capacity to treat patients, and should be allowed to 'run hot' to stop millions of jobs being destroyed.

On another day of coronavirus chaos: 

• Another 596 patients died of the virus, the lowest toll in a fortnight; 
• A vital shipment of coronavirus protective kit from Turkey looks set to be delayed again - with medics warning they might be forced to stop treating patients; 
• The daily number of those tested languished at 21,600 with just ten days to go to hit the Government's 100,000 target; 
• The death toll of frontline NHS and care home staff, from heart surgeons and nurses to porters and volunteers, reached at least 80;  
• Michael Gove attacked 'grotesque' claims Boris Johnson was 'missing in action' at the start of the crisis after he missed five meetings of the emergency Cobra committee; 
• More than 100 top doctors backed calls for the public to be told to wear homemade face masks when they leave the house; 
• Chancellor Rishi Sunak was urged to boost his business bailout schemes amid warnings that up to 11.7million could be furloughed or left jobless over the next three months; 
• Analysis suggests that more than 2,500 elderly patients are dying of coronavirus in care homes every week. 

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