Cabinet ministers have told the Times that they think it would be “very difficult” to end the lockdown if deaths and hospital admissions continue to rise. “There’s a lag to these things,” the paper quotes one as saying. “The fear will be that in four weeks’ time deaths will be higher than they are now, which will give credibility to people who want to keep national measures in place.” Schools will be allowed to stay open under the new restrictions, but Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said pupils and staff in secondary schools should wear face coverings while moving around or in communal areas – as is required in Scotland.