Boris Johnson imposed stringent lockdown measures on Monday, banning the public from leaving their homes apart from a handful of exceptions, such as shopping for food and medicines. He said the nationwide shut down would be in place for an initial three weeks, but the Government’s leading epidemiology adviser has said the measures are likely to last for several months. It comes after the Prime Minister warned the coronavirus pandemic would “get worse before it gets better”, as Britain’s death toll continues to rise.

Professor Neil Ferguson has warned Britons could be forced to stay at home for nearly three months.

He told the Sunday Times: “We’re going to have to keep these measures in place, in my view, for a significant period of time — probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic.”

The health chief also warned that when the lockdown was eventually lifted, Britons would still be told to adhere to social distancing measures.

This could result in schools and universities remaining shut until the autumn.

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Offices could also be asked to stay closed and employees asked to continue working from home.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday the lockdown measures were not fixed.

He advised that if people adhered to the rules the shutdown can be shortened.

Mr Gove said: “There are different projections as to how long the lockdown might last.

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“But it’s not the case that the length of the lockdown is something that is absolutely fixed.

“It depends on all of our behaviour.

“If we follow the guidelines, we can deal more effectively with the spread of the disease.”

The cabinet minister said the length of the lockdown is founded on “the basis of behaviour, on the basis of data, on the basis of facts, on the basis of science”.

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The warning comes after the number of coronavirus cases in the UK rose dramatically yesterday, as the country’s death toll doubled in just three days.

On Saturday a further 260 deaths were announced, taking the UK’s total to 1,019.

A further 2,510 people tested positive for COVID-19, as the total number of cases rise to 17,089.

The Prime Minister, who tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, will write to every household in the UK to urge the public to obey the lockdown measures.

The letters, costing £5.8million, will stress the need to stay indoors to support the NHS by slowing the spread of the disease.

Mr Johnson writes: “It’s important for me to level with you — we know things will get worse before they get better.

“But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal.

“If too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to cope. This will cost lives.

“That is why we are giving one simple instruction — you must stay at home.”

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